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marril96 · 3 days ago

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Just In Time

Pairing: Agatha Harkness x reader

Summary: Following a trip, Agatha gets sick. It's up to you to look after her.

Editor: @fruityhahn

The weather was miserable, and so were you.

When the forecast had announced a snowstorm would hit your area the day after, you'd hurried to go on a supply run. Just in case the storm happened to overstay its welcome. If your centuries on this Earth had taught you anything, it was that it was good to be prepared.

Wind had started picking up not long after noon. By the time you'd arrived home, it was snowing like it hadn't been in years. The ride which usually took around twenty minutes had taken over an hour; you could barely see the road ahead.

Living in the middle of nowhere usually had its perks, the most important ones being privacy and freedom from nosy neighbors, but it sucked ass during times like this.

Especially when you were alone.

A couple days back, Agatha had gone on another one of her con jobs. She'd found a coven of witches she'd claimed were powerful and wanted to stock up for a rainy day — or a snowy day, as she'd said. Awfully fitting.

Usually, you'd accompanied her, more for your peace of mind than hers, but this time you weren't in the mood for travel. It was cold outside. The place she'd tracked that coven to was amidst the largest snowstorm in the country. You couldn't bring yourself to leave the warmth of your house to do a con job that would be over in half an hour, once the witches' trust was earned.

Agatha had assured you that she could handle it. She had, after all, been doing this for centuries, long before she'd ever met you. She would be okay. She'd travel to that shithole town, and she would be on the first flight or bus or train back, whichever was available, as soon as the storm had passed.

And here you were now, alone in an empty house, soon to be trapped inside for the unforeseeable future.

As you were grabbing all the bags, hoping against hope they wouldn't rip and spill your stuff all over the windy yard, you made a mental note to call Agatha and let her know that you were okay.

She had done the same after she'd landed at her destination and started working on the witches. This morning she'd sent a quick text to tell you the job was done, and she was taking the first means of transport that was available home.

You hoped coming home to a full fridge and a stocked up potions ingredients cupboard would cheer her up after a long day of travel — from one snowstorm to another.

As you were about to stick the key into the lock, you noticed the door was a jar. Your heckles rose like a porcupine's quills, prickling at the back of your neck. You were sure you'd closed the door on your way out. You were sure you'd locked it.

Tentatively, slowly, you walked inside. Lowering the bags to the floor (and making sure to make as little noise as possible), you summoned your magic. Sparks as bright as daylight engulfed the tips of your fingers. Whoever the mystery intruder was, they were messing with the wrong witch.

The house was dark and cold, exactly as you'd left it this morning. There was no point in lighting the fire when you would be out for almost half a day; you knew that, by the time you'd gone through all the grocery stores, as well as the couple witch shops just out of town, it would be dark out. The fire would have been long dead.

"Hello?" you called out cautiously, wiggling your fingers, the magic coiling between them crackling like freshly lit fire.

A small, weak noise sounded in response, strangely alike to a moan.

Your brows furrowed in confusion, but you didn't let your guard down. Whoever or whatever was in your house could still pose a threat to your life. A wild animal was no less dangerous than a human — or an unfriendly witch.

As you lingered by the entrance to the living room, your power lighting up the dark space, your eyes fell upon a form spread across the floor.

"Hello?" you repeated, instinctively stiffening and clenching both fists.

Why would someone break into a house, only to fall asleep on the floor? How were they able to step inside in the first place? You and Agatha had made sure to put up protective runes. Nobody, human or witch or anything else resembling a person, should have been able to get in.

Nobody except…

You stepped closer to get a better look at the fallen person. Their jacket was purple, a rich, dark shade that you would recognize anywhere. They wore jeans, and on their feet was a pair of black boots. A halo of thick, dark brown curls spilled around their head.

Blood ran cold in your veins as the realization sat in.

"Agatha!" Dissolving your summoned magic, you instantly ran over to her and kneeled by her side. "Sweetheart?"

She responded with a moan, as small and fragile as the first one. "Y-Y/N…"

Your heart raced, concern spilling over you like a bucket of cold water. "What happened?"

"I-I'm not… feeling well…"

That much you could tell. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No."

You pressed your palm to her forehead, and almost pulled your hand back as if stung. "You're burning up."

You couldn't help releasing a relieved sigh. A fever, you could deal with. Whatever illness she'd picked up, be it the flu or COVID or any other respiratory ailment, would be a walk in the park in comparison to a hex.

"I'm sick," Agatha said, weak, drained.

"I can see that," you replied softly. "Why didn't you call me?"

She took in a breath, two, three. "I did. You didn't pick up."

"What?" You instinctively reached for your pocket, only to find it empty. Fuck. You were in a rush this morning, eager to head out as soon as possible, hoping against hope the storm wouldn't hit early. Shit. "I left my phone at home. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"You should be," Agatha said halfheartedly, just to be snarky. Just to show that she was still herself, despite the predicament she was in.

You rolled your eyes, but decided to give her a pass. Bitchiness was one of the things you loved about her. As annoying as you found it from time to time, it was part of what made her her. You wouldn't change it for the world.

"I had to take a cab," she whined. "The bastard robbed me blind."

"Why didn't you mind control him?"

"Think I didn't try? My purple is… malfunctioning."

Because she was sick.

It was a miracle she'd managed to drag herself inside the house before collapsing.

Your heart swelled with sympathy, with compassion for the woman you loved. It had been ages since you'd last seen her so much as cough. Whatever she'd caught had to be nasty; there were few things that managed to bring down the powerful Agatha Harkness, and a feeble illness wasn't one of them.

It shouldn't have been, at least.

"Can you walk?" you asked, gently hoisting her up to her feet.

Her legs instantly gave way, answering your question; you wrapped your arms around her, holding her against you, hoping against hope that your body could handle the weight of hers pressing against it.

"I got you. It's okay. I got you, sweetie."

It broke your heart to see her so weak, so fragile. As if one wrong look could break her.

As if she was already breaking, one little piece at a time.

It felt like a dream, a nightmare you couldn't wake up from.

Your Agatha was strong. Powerful. She did what she wanted and demolished everyone and everything that stood in her way.

This pitiful creature wasn't her.

It couldn't be her.

"I'm tired," Agatha murmured.

"I know you are," you said, caressing her hair. Her head lowered to your shoulder, and she relaxed, breathing softly. Safe and secure in your arms. Cozy as a baby bird, even in this awkward position. "Can you try to take a few steps to help me out here?"

"Do I have to?"

God, she was such a brat.

A part of you found it endearing.

"You'll be more comfortable on the couch than on the floor."

She couldn't argue with that. "Mmm."

Her left foot pushed itself forward. Then the right one. You guided her, slow and careful; the last thing you wanted was to cause her more pain than she was already in.

You could tell it took a lot out of her, but she forced her legs to move along with you, to follow your lead.

As soon as you reached the couch, Agatha, with a large, tired sigh, slumped forwards. You removed her jacket and shoes, then helped her lie down

"This is undignifying," she whined.

A small smile bloomed on your mouth. "It's fine. You're sick."

"I'm pathetic."

If there was anyone who was allowed to see her in that condition, it was you. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

You made a quick run upstairs to grab the pillow and blanket off your bed, and then wrapped her up nice and tight. Swaddled her like a baby in need of utmost care.

Not that she was far from that description.

As you were adjusting the pillow under her head, your eyes fell upon a phone on the coffee table — your phone, the one you'd discarded this morning in your rush to outrun the incoming storm. A light was blinking at the top, alerting you of missed calls. Countless, you assumed. Agatha would not have given up after a couple.

A pang of regret pierced your heart. You should have been there. You should have driven her home and tucked her into bed afterwards. She shouldn't have spent hours on a cold, hard floor.

"Don't leave me," Agatha suddenly said, shaking you from your thoughts. Her lip trembled, eyes filled with tears she was trying her hardest to hold back. "Please."

There it was again, that insecurity of hers. That fear that she would be betrayed, abandoned for that was all she'd ever known. People — witches — in her life tended to turn their backs on her when she needed them the most. The coven she'd been born into, her mother, hell, even her ex, from the stories she'd told you. Nobody cared enough to stay. Nobody cared enough to put her first.

You did.

Nothing she could ever say or do would make you leave her behind.

"I won't," you assured her, grabbing her hand. Her fingers weakly wrapped around yours. "I'll be right here."

You pressed a kiss to her burning forehead, sealing the promise. You would stay with her. You would look after her. You would make sure she got better.

Agatha muttered something you couldn't exactly make out, that sounded almost like, "Thank you," and then she said in her tiniest voice, "I'm cold."

"Let me get you something for your fever, and then I'll light the fire, okay?"

As soon as she gave a nod, you rushed to the medicine cabinet upstairs, grabbed what you needed, then ran back down to the kitchen. The medication dissolved in water in seconds; you stirred it with a spoon to speed it up, cursing yourself for still, centuries into your life on this Earth, not having gotten a hang of potions.

Magic would speed up Agatha's recovery significantly. Magic that you weren't capable of.

You hated yourself for it. Hated that you couldn't help the woman you loved. Hated that the simplest of magic was out of your grasp. Hated that you could kill a person with ease, but when it came to healing you were useless.

Agatha readily drank the medicine. Without uttering a word, she let you hold the plastic cup to her mouth, too weak to attempt it herself, and drained it in two big gulps.

"This is horrible," she complained, face scrunching in disgust.

The sheer cuteness of her reaction forced your mouth to curl into a smile. "It will help."

"It better."

A part of you wanted to tease her with, "Or what?" but you decided against it. She needed to conserve her strength. There would be time for playful banter later, once her fever was down and she could make more than two steps without falling on her face.

You laid a kiss to her knuckles, adjusting the blanket, making sure that she was covered from head to toe.

As Agatha's eyes fell closed and she burrowed her face under the blanket, you set to lighting the fire. The fireplace was big, fancy in comparison to the rest of the house. It reminded you of the olden days, of mansions and villas you and Agatha would scam your way into to take advantage of the hosts. Sometimes it would be for money, other times for magic; rich witches were no less gullible than poor ones — in fact, some were even more so, their greed for the imaginary Road the perfect fodder for Agatha's cannon.

Not much had changed in that regard. Witches were just as greedy, just as gluttonous as they were back then.

People would always be people. Nature had made it so.

The first crackle of fire elicited a satisfied "Mmm" from Agatha from under the covers.

You had to smile, even though she couldn't see you.

She was going to be okay.

A seasonal respiratory illness couldn't bring down the great and powerful Agatha Harkness.

Not for long.

***

It was almost dinnertime by the time Agatha stirred awake. A groan you knew by heart prompted you to rush to her side, to ensure that you would be the first thing her eyes fell upon after blinking open.

You needed her to know that you'd made good on your promise.

You'd stayed.

You were here.

You didn't abandon her.

"Y/N?" Agatha said, rubbing her tired eyes.

"It's me," you said with a grin. "Hi."

She rolled her eyes, not in the mood for your shenanigans — not yet, anyway.

You blew her a raspberry in response, which, in turn, elicited a frustrated groan from her.

Your girl was back.

"How are you feeling?" you asked.

"Like I just woke up from hibernation."

She looked it, too. Some color had returned to her cheeks, but she was still pale as a ghost.

You laid a hand over her forehead. Her skin was its regular warmth, pleasant instead of scorching. "No fever. That's a good sign."

You'd made sure to check on her while she was asleep, palming her head every half an hour or so, just to be safe.

She'd taken well to the medicine.

"Are you sure?" she asked, for no reason other than to be a brat. Her usual tactic, used just to rile you up, to annoy you for Agatha Harkness was nothing if not a troll.

Fine. If that was how she wanted to play it. "I could always stick a thermometer up your ass to double check."

Two could play this game.

Agatha made a sour face.

"Thought so," you said with a shrug.

She responded with a pout, one of her most lethal weapons. You melted like ice greeting the sun, unable to put up a fight, to resist her blatant manipulation.

This woman had an insane amount of power over you, and the worst part of it was that you let her have it. You didn't mind it.

You gave it to her. Willingly so.

If given a choice, you would do it again in a heartbeat.

As carefully as if any sudden movement would set her ablaze, Agatha propped herself up into a sitting position. One of her hands shot out in your direction, reaching for you, beckoning for you to come to her.

You instantly obliged, moving to sit beside her. As gently as you could, you cupped her cheeks, soft and warm, flushing with more and more color with each passing minute. She leaned into your touch, into you, comfortable, trusting. She knew you would never hurt her. That you would make all the bad go away to the best of your ability. That you would love her and cherish her and protect her when she wasn't able to do it on her own.

She trusted you with herself at her most vulnerable.

You swore on your life to never do anything to make her regret it.

You pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and then pecked her on the lips. "How'd it go with the witches?"

Agatha grunted, displeased. "They're the ones who got me sick."

"They hex you?"

She made a disgusted face. "Worse. They sneezed and coughed in my face. The entire damn coven was one step removed from meeting my ex."

"You really stepped in it, huh?" Understatement of the century.

Agatha scoffed. "Two of them couldn't even blast me. I had to kill them the old fashioned way." She shook her head in disappointment. "Waste of good magic."

"At least you drained the rest," you said in an attempt to make her feel better.

It didn't work.

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

"Hey, hey." You tilted her head to get her eyes to meet yours, your thumbs rubbing tender circles across her cheeks. "This is just a bug. You'll be fine. You're already doing much better."

Compared to how you'd found her mere hours ago, weak and barely conscious on the floor, unable to walk even with assistance, this was a major improvement.

"Well, I am exceptional," she said with exaggerated arrogance, a smirk coating her puckered mouth.

"Yes, you are."

Agatha preened at the praise like a peacock, eyelashes batting, lips puckering into that adorable pout that always made you melt. Unable to resist, you laid a quick kiss to them, then pecked the tip of her nose.

Witches with body counts that would make the most notorious serial killers blush had no right to be that cute.

"What was that potion you gave me?" she inquired.

"Two water-soluble Tylenol." You gave a chuckle. "Extra strength."

"Of course."

"Hey, it worked."

It was a well known fact that you and potions got along like water and oil. Agatha had tried to teach you some, many times, each having resulted in a disaster, until she'd finally given up and took on the task of preparing them herself.

As the saying went, if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.

She knew better than to entrust that particular task to you.

That didn't make teasing you any less fun.

"If you want a potion, make it yourself," you said. "Until then, you're stuck with Tylenol."

"Whatever would you do without me?" Agatha quipped with a sigh.

"Not get sick, for one," you pointed out.

She responded with a new pout, this one hurt, sad to the core.

As tempting as it was, you didn't fall for it. "Cuteness doesn't give you the right to be a bitch to the person taking care of you."

"Doesn't it?"

"Nope."

She shrugged. "It was worth a try." Then, face turning serious, she said, "Thank you for staying."

You had, after all, promised that you would.

As mean as she could be, you knew Agatha appreciated everything you did for her. She showed it with every kiss, every cuddle, every little caress and pat. Every look in her eyes. Every breakfast she brought you to bed and coffee she made alongside it. Every new spell she boasted about learning, eager to teach you its ways.

She wasn't perfect, far from it, but you knew she loved you. Her actions spoke louder than words.

You smiled. "Always, sweetheart. You're kinda stuck with me."

Agatha retorted with a kiss, long and hungry. Yet another wordless declaration of love, louder and prouder than any yell.

The growl in her stomach prompted you to pull away. "You should get something to eat."

She contemplated it for a moment, then, knowing resistance was futile, conceded, "I could use a corn dog or something."

Or something, it was. "How does canned soup sound?"

"Like I don't have much of a choice."

"You have plenty of choices."

You'd made sure to stock up on pretty much everything. It had taken you hours; shelves at every store were almost bare, raided by people eager to prepare for the storm.

A few fights had broken out, each over random shit that, honestly, wasn't even worth fighting for. Desperation bred tension, you supposed. And tension bred conflict.

Not my circus, not my monkeys, you'd told yourself, carefully avoiding each and every brawl. You watched from a safe distance, reminded of Black Friday fight compilations Agatha liked to watch. It was bizarre to see it happen in front of your very eyes. A perfect reminder that humans, after all, really were animals.

"If you're feeling up to cooking," you added.

Agatha wasn't just the potion maker in your relationship — she was also the chef. With damn good reason.

Forcing her mouth into a tight smile, she said, "Canned soup sounds fantastic."

You thought so.

"It'll be good for you," you said. "Soup helps with the flu."

Agatha narrowed her eyes, skeptical. "I'm pretty sure that's an old wives tale."

It might have been. Not that you cared. "It's a fluid. You need fluids."

"Fine," she relented. "You win."

Her tone made it clear that she was far from happy about it.

Tough luck.

You gifted her another kiss, a little peace offering. Agatha happily accepted, melting into you, devouring the small token of affection. Begging for more, more, more like the greedy little fiend that she was.

You happily indulged her. After all, it took one to know one.

"Is your purple still malfunctioning?" you asked in-between the shower of kisses.

Agatha raised a hand up to your face. The tip of her forefinger, adorned with a long, perfectly manicured nail, lit up in rich violet. She laid it against your nose in a gentle tap. The sparks of magic cracked against your skin, tickling you, teasing you.

A grin broke out across your face. "I'm gonna take that as a no."

"When has anything held me down for long?"

"Right, you're exceptional," you echoed her words back to her, eliciting a wide smile.

"Exactly."

Leaning forwards, you rubbed your nose against hers. Agatha scrunched her face adorably.

"Stop that," she said half-heartedly, cheeks flushing with more color.

"Or what?" you challenged.

"I'll drain you."

A hearty laugh erupted from your mouth.

She pouted, feigning offense. "I mean it. There's a reason they call me witch killer."

Indeed, there was. She — happily, gleefully — killed witches.

Other witches.

Witches that weren't you.

There had been a few close calls in the past, of you being careless and almost blasting her. She'd broken into tears each time and had lectured you about safety and precaution until her throat was raw and it hurt to talk, and you'd had to wrap your arms around her and promise it wouldn't happen again.

She didn't want to hurt you.

She didn't want to take your life.

"Somehow I doubt it," you said.

Agatha shrugged. "It's your funeral. I'm formidable."

"Yes, you are." Briefly kissing the tip of her nose, which prompted another impossibly cute face scrunch, you leaned your forehead against hers. "I love you so much."

"Right back at you, honey," she said. "Thank you for being here."

"I wish I'd come home sooner."

She shook her head. "You were just in time."

You supposed you were.

It was worth it.

*****

Tags: @werewolfbarbie @miss-moon-guardian @hermslore @uniquelesbianidiot @natashamaximoff1 @alsoknownasmel @swan-queen-is-magic @tardisesandtitans @ahintofchaos @fruityhahn @midnight-lestrange @lift-heavy-be-gay @katieswain123 @riovidalharkness

#agatha harkness x reader #agatha x reader #agatha harkness #marvel #mcu #fanfic #fanfiction #my fics #edit

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