Having new experiences in Vallo was a given, and Catra was fortunate enough to say most of hers had been positive ones. Friendships had been made - and sustained, gasp - all on her own, and she was proficient in the kitchen (you may now consider her a professional pancake maker, thanks assholes) and hobbies had been discovered. Like art, which she really enjoyed and was weirdly therapeutic in its own way. It was nice to be at a comfortable point in her life to where she was willing to try just about anything because, well - why the fuck not? Her mind was open and willing.
Except for maybe babysitting.
Their day off started simple enough. Adora went out on a jog with Spirit (Melog tagged along too before stalking towards the Sanctuary) and Catra stayed behind to slowly wake up and, eventually, whip them up some breakfast that wasnât a complete pile of grease or a pile of processed sugar. They went out to one of the neighboring villages for a stroll and a small amount of groceries since they had the best produce, and she really needed to get some fresh peaches for a cobbler recipe she wanted to try out when they ran into a couple theyâve known for awhile. Rye and Maera, a human pair living in the village outskirts - farmers and part-time carpenters with a family, very nice people. Adoraâs helped them with moving heavy objects before.
The run-in was innocent enough. Should have been five minutes of small talk at best.
But they started talking about date plans that had hit a bump in the road when their original babysitter bailed out for a family emergency, and they had a whole day planned in the city with non-refundable tickets to some theater event and the next thing Catra knows is that Adora is enthusiastically bobbing her stupidly pretty head saying something like sure, we can watch them for you!
Catra didnât have it in her to protest when she knew she could because, technically, they had no strict plans or obligations and they were really nice and hooked them up a lot with their harvest and the kids were fine (she supposed) and didnât they need practice for the, uh, future or whatever? So in turn, with an extremely awkward and tight smile, she agreed.
So that was the story of how they ended up here, at Rye and Maeraâs quaint (and thankfully baby-proofed) home, completely responsible for the safety and well-being of a three-year-old girl (Mimi, short for - something, she couldnât remember) and a baby boy (Jax, also short for something she couldnât remember) that just hit six months.
âHas it only been an hour???â Catra asked in awe, because within an hour of taking the reins in watching these two small people she had spit up on her button-up blouse, her hair was up in a ponytail because it also had a little bit of spit up in it and there were cracker crumbs everywhere with the occasional small puddle of spilled milk. Jax was in her arms and he insisted on staying there, all gummy smiles and gurgles because he was happy as a pig in shit hearing Catra purr and playing with her ears.
Mimi, on the other hand, was bouncing behind Adora and saying something like PRETEND TO BE MY HORSE!!!!
Adora, honestly, was having a blast.
This hadnât been how sheâd intended to spend her day, but she hadnât had anything special planned either. There were certain days she and Catra carved out for dates, but this hadnât been one of them, and she really liked Rye and Maera. They were young parents with little kids, and Adora knew it had to be hard for them to find time to do stuff for themselves, so of course she volunteered to help out.
Practicing with little kids was part of her motivation, too, obviously. She had dialed back the baby fever behavior, but it was still there, always lingering beneath the surface. She knew it was probably insane to want so much so fast, but it was there, and since they knew Finn was coming young, she wanted to be as prepared as possible for their arrival.
Jax and Mimi were excellent practice. Jax had been handed to Catra upon their arrival and had refused to leave her arms since - something Adora had taken rapidfire pictures of before her attention was pulled away by a very eager three year old. The little girl had been running her ragged for the past hour, but she really hadnât tired much. It was fun, a good reminder of the sweet, hyperactive innocence Finn had brought to Darla when they were here.
âOkay, okay!â she laughed, caving to Mimiâs demands and shifting onto her hands and knees. She felt that little body clambering onto her back and grinned at Catra from their spot on the floor. âGuess itâs time to channel my inner Swift Wind, huh?â
In the privacy of their own home and away from tiny impressionable ears, Catra would have made a lewd remark of how good Adora looked on all fours but - sadly - this was not that context. Mimi was bossy, and excitable, and reminded her a lot of Adora when they were small so it didnât surprise her that she gravitated towards her.
âDonât speak that horse's name into the world,â she sighed, adjusting the baby in her arms. Catra was very gentle with him - claws retracted, purrs rumbling intermittently to keep him settled and content. It seemed to work. Anytime Jax got fussy for whatever reason she seemed able enough to soothe him. âOkay, so, theyâve had their snacks? Most of it made it into their mouths.â Mimi inhaled solids, and Jax was a mix of bottles and pureed stuff. The ordeal had been messy. âI think this dude needs a diaper change and, uh. I know how to do that, in theory?â
Rye had helped her change the first one when they came in just to show her but still.
Mimi was giggling up a storm while Adora did, in fact, do her best Swift Wind impression, including some wild hair flips. It earned some little hands in her hair, which was a little painful, but sheâd deal. She slipped one hand behind her back to make sure Mimi was secure before moving closer to Catraâs spot on the couch.
âWant me to help?â she asked. She hadnât ever changed a diaper, actually, but sheâd seen Rye instructing Catra. Surely, between the two of them, they could figure it out.
âItâs fine, itâs not - hard, or anything,â Catra stammered with a failed attempt to project absolute confidence. Babysitting was nerve wracking. Who the hell in their right mind would agree to be responsible for the lives of other children? And, yes, rhetorical fucking question but let her internally panic in peace goddamnit.
There were diapers and wipes nearby so this was the best spot. Gently, she set Jax down on his back (already he was making grabby hands at Catra - or her ears, specifically) and she undid the snaps of his onesie without an issue. Cleaned him up, crumbled up the old diaper, added a fresh one beneath him to wrap up and right when she was feeling actually accomplished -
Jax peed into the air and narrowly missed Catraâs face. She startled and yelped and tried to cover him up but he was giggling, and then had the audacity to even drool. âStopstopstop! Stop peeing! Please stop peeing!â
âOooooohhhh,â gasped Mimi. âJax peed at Kitty!â
Yep, he sure did. Very astute of Mimi to notice.
Adora slid Mimi off her back and set her on her feet before scrambling up herself. She didnât really know what she could do to help, but she felt like she should try to do something. She grabbed another wipe as the stream died down and just kind of held it there, hoping to avoid another wave.
âI think he, uh⊠might need a new onesie?â she suggested, looking up at her wife. This close, she could see there were some wet spots in places, and she doubted keeping Jax wrapped up in clothes with spots of pee on it was the right call to make.
Oh my god, why were babies like this. Catra couldnât even be upset about it. Jax was kicking his feet, cooing, smiling. âHe does,â she breathed a sigh, ears pinned back a bit from being frazzled. âOkay, um - fresh clothes. Iâm gonna go grab some new ones? Something warm? Then we can take them outside to play?â
Mimi let out a joyous squeal and threw her hands in the air, then began spinning in circles. âI want to play outside! We have swings! Slides! Sand!â
Most of that was for her - Jax was still too tiny but the sandbox thing? That might work. Catra hurriedly got him something new, cursing under her breath how baby clothes didnât need to be THAT cute, did they?
Adora wasnât quite as frazzled as her wife but definitely a little unsure. Mimi was closer to Finnâs age - she could handle that, had at least a little bit of practice under her belt. An actual baby, cute as he may be (and he was adorable, with that gummy smile, all innocence and sweetness), was out of her realm. But she was determined to adjust because, inevitably, Finn would also be a baby at some point.
âWe can go outside,â she told Mimi. âLetâs just get your brother cleaned up and ready to go, okay?â She was trying to do just that, discarding the original wipe and starting to peel off the wet onesie until Catra came back with the new one. âOkay, thatâs ridiculously cute,â she laughed, plucking at the little bear ears with a sappy grin.
âOkaaaay,â Mimi sighed, arms dropping and she did her best to wait patiently. By hovering close to Adora, arms behind her back and rocking on her heels with little whispered are you done yet are you done yet are you done yet.
Dressing up Jax wasnât too hard. New diaper, clothes. He was a little wiggly and a lot giggly, and by the time Catra was done zipping up the fuzzy little hoody he was ready to be held again. âAlright little dude,â she whispered softly, picking him up. âThat wasnât so bad? Changed a whole ass babyâs clothes and diaper without a second incident.â
âA whole ass baby,â Mimi parroted back with a sage nod.
Catra froze, blinking wide at Adora. âIâm not cut out for this.â
Oh no. Adora started to smile and quickly slapped her hand across her mouth and nose to re-gather herself. She could not laugh. If she did, she knew Mimi would take it as a sign that it was okay to keep saying that, and the last thing they needed was Rye and Maera to come home to their child saying ass.
She lowered her hand, cleared her throat, and reached out for Mimiâs hand. âLetâs go get you a coat so you can play outside. Itâs chilly out there!â she told her, hoping that would be a sufficient distraction for a few minutes. This kid never stopped, but maybe getting her outside would burn off some more of that energy.
It took a few minutes to get Mimi in a hat, a puffy coat zipped up to her chin, and some sneakers. Adora shoved some mittens into her pocket too, just in case the temperature dropped any more. She looked like a tiny little raspberry by the time she was ready to go, but she was still just as hyped.
âWant me to take Jax for a few minutes so you can clean up?â she asked her wife. âWe can start off in the sand, that should be doable.â They would both be sitting in the same spot, and Adora would be able to keep an eye on them without any trouble.
âItâs okay,â Catra shrugged, standing and gently bouncing the kid in her arms. âI figure Iâm just gonna get more messy as the day goes on anyway? He likes me holding him.â And who was she to deny him that anyway, he was kinda cute. His hands kept going to her face, caressing the peach fuzz right below her ears. âI read once that babies like touching all kinds of textured things as they get older. A sensory thing, I guess.â
Despite all the pointy teeth and claws and scowls she knew she was very soft to touch, so. She couldnât blame him.
Mimi was running out of patience and began tugging at Adora almost violently. âLetâs go lets go letâs go! Câmon, âDora and Kitty!â she shouted and paved the path through the house and out towards the backyard.
Which was nice. Very spacious, lots of grass that was still a little dead from the cold. There was a bunch of stuff scattered for them to play with that the parents had built themselves, and the fence provided protection from any potential nasties that could cross into their property. The turtle sandbox in particular (not hand built - that was just plastic) was what Mimi wanted to bring them to. âI cover Jax in sand!â
âYou probably shouldnât,â Catra snickered.
âUmmmm, yes I can!â
Adora had to try very hard not to get all heart eyes watching Catra with Jax. She had seen the softest side of Catra more times than she could count now, but it never failed to make her want to melt. And seeing how gentle and loving she was with these kids, Jax especially, was not helping the barely-contained baby fever.
Before she got a chance to comment, however, Mimi was tugging insistently on her arm and she stumbled forward (intentionally, for once, for dramatic effect) and followed her out with a laugh. She was such a demanding little thing, but she could imagine their kids being much the same as they grew older. Neither she nor Catra were really the timid types.
âHow about we cover Jaxâs feet with sand?â she offered as a compromise, sinking down onto the grass behind the sandbox, still well within everyoneâs line of sight. There wasnât really room in that tiny thing for her unless she folded herself up.
Alas, they were two grown ass adults that could not fit into the box so like Adora, she also sunk down to sit on the grass. This also meant she could be cozied up to her wife too so obviously, a win regardless. âVoting for feet only too,â she contributed and helped get Jax settled. He was a pro at sitting upright, and like Catra had said he was all about sensory stuff so he went from being captivated by fur to sand.
Mimi pouted. âFine okay yeah,â she mumbled and plopped herself down. There were buckets and shovels and little molds, and she went to diligently work on burying her brotherâs feet. Jax was happy to just touch the sand, letting it sift through his fingers in glee.
âMmm, you should wrap your arm around me,â Catra said to Adora since the kiddos were a little busy right now - which meant she could look at her wife, smirk in tact. âIâm a little cold and slightly traumatized from being peed at.â
Adora grinned and did as she was asked, wrapping her arms around Catra and rearranging them so her wife was in her lap. They could still keep their eyes on the little ones and get some cuddle time in. She was always radiating heat, anyway, and more than happy to share it.
âWell, guess at least youâve got time to get used to it,â she chuckled, pressing a kiss to Catraâs cheek. âProbably wonât be our last experience with it. Theyâre extra adorable afterwards to make up for it, look at them.â
Lap cuddles, fuck yeah. Catra would never protest - sheâd sit on her as if Adora was her throne (but with hot biceps). Her tail tickled the side of her face as she nuzzled into her arms, purring up a storm that would put thunder to shame. âYeah, yeah, Iâll get used to it,â she snorted with a smile. âTheyâre cute though, sure.â
Right now they were really sucked into sand activities though - between Jax touching it obsessively and Mimi filling up buckets and then dumping them out. Mostly on her brotherâs feet. Lucky him that he absolutely loved it and laughed, green eyes twinkling.
But watching them made Catra realize something. Her eyes blinked up, and began surveying the yard digs. âUh, Adora.â Bliiiiiiink. âWe donât even have a fenced yard. At home. We have, like, so much land but no yard.â
Oh, Adora realized, that was a good point. Sheâd thought about it a time or two before, mostly when she was taking Spirit out, but he was well-trained at this point. He never wandered far if she wasnât up for a run, and there was just no point in a yard for the two of them. But for Finn and their eventual kids (and maybe even more kids someday, if that wasnât wishful thinking), it made sense.
âOkay,â she said slowly, still trying to jump to the same conclusion Catra had come to. âSo, what do you think we should do? We could move, I guess? Maybe raising kids in a spaceship is a little weird.â
She knew Finn had claimed a room on Darla as their own, but she doubted finding a house or something to live on like regular people was going to change things much. And then theyâd probably have a yard ready-made.
âFinn loves Darla,â Catra protested with a frown, hugging her arms into herself while being a dutiful lap occupant. âI donât know, itâs our first home here. Iâm attached.â
It was a little unusual but werenât they, too? Baby proofing Darla wouldnât be an issue. And it was a lot safer and sturdier than a regular run-of-the-mill house around here. It was a giant lump of space metal that was armed in case something big came at them.
Her attention went from the kids to her wife, nose all crinkled, and she bumped her head into Adoraâs cheek. âCan you - I donât know, use your She-Ra muscles to make one? Youâve fixed fences before. Iâve watched, very intently.â
Now it was Adoraâs turn to smirk, eyebrows raising. âOh, I know you have.â She always made sure to show off a little bit for Catra when helping locals out with tasks like that - even when theyâd helped out Rye and Maera in the past. Catra had a thing for her muscles and Adora wasnât afraid to show them off if it meant getting her wifeâs undivided attention.
She tucked her chin over Catraâs shoulder, nuzzling into her cheek. âI guess I can try to work something out. Iâm not really a landscaper or a fence-builder, but thatâs what YouTubeâs for, right?â She could learn; she didnât really want to leave Darla either, but she did agree with Catra that any future kids they had would need a proper, enclosed space to run around and wreak havoc in safely.
Yeah, yeah. Catra was shameless about her spouseâs muscles, could you blame her. While she wildly preferred her dorky, graceless Adora over the towering height and blinding glow of She-Ra, she was nice to look at too. Plus She-Ra was also her wife, so. A win-win situation for her all around.
âGives you something to focus on?â she offered, then gave Adora these cute and noisy cheek kisses - lots of them, it even made Mimi point and giggle and say Kitty gives kisses. âI meanâŠâ She batted her lashes at her all coyly. âDonât you wanna be that super extra mom that builds her kids their own big yard with a swing set?â A dramatic gasp. âAnd a slide???â
Mimi gasped too. âI have those.â
âExactly. All the white humans on TV and movies do too!â
Adora grinned at her wife, her face a pleased pink in color after being assaulted with all those kisses. âWeeeell, whatever Kitty wants, Kitty gets,â she teased her. âIâll start looking into it when we get home. Maybe we can ask Rye and Maera where they got this little sandbox.â It was adorable and shaped like a turtle, and if she was five years old again, sheâd absolutely want one for herself. Playtime hadnât exactly been a priority in the Horde.
âOh my god donât call me that,â she groaned and buried her face into the crook of her neck - except she was kinda giggling, so. Clearly she wasnât that affronted by the name. Hard to be mad when a kid coined the nickname anyway, and the purrs hadnât stopped. Catra was content. âI just think - yâknow, it makes sense! Itâs not even for me, itâs forâŠâ
She huffed. Why did Adora have this way of making her sappy, it wasnât fair. But she lifted her head and shrugged, shifting on her lap to kind of wedge her butt between those killer thighs. âItâs for them. One day.â
If Adora had the ability to purr right back, she would be. She was practically glowing - although not in the She-Ra way (yet, at least). They talked about Finn and kids in general a little more often now that they knew having them was an inevitability. But it didnât usually get past the practical side of things and into sappy territory.
So, she was all the more glowy when Catra did go there.
âItâs for all of us,â she corrected gently, pressing a kiss to Catraâs chin. âFor our family.â Her thumb brushed along the line of her wifeâs jaw. âIâll do it. âCourse I will. But Iâd do it just for you, anyway.â
âYeah?â Catra whispered, arms untightening from herself to slide a hand over her shoulder, to the back of her neck and right into that pretty mess of blonde hair. There was a kiss in reciprocation too, but this one was to her lips - soft and chaste since they were in the presence of innocent minds. âYou promise?â
âI promise,â Adora replied without a momentâs hesitation. There was no question about it. There was nothing she wouldnât do for Catra, a fact that they were both well aware of. But sheâd say it as many times as Catra wanted to hear it. âAlways.â She leaned in to steal another kiss, this time sealing their lips together for just a few extra lingering moments.
Catra lived for those moments. A smile sliced across her face, mouths still pushed together, eyes half-lidded and disgustingly love-struck. âLove you,â there was a fussy whine and a short cry from the baby beside them, and little arms were flailing in her periphery, âdummy.â
Jax was getting restless, and he saw the way Catraâs tail was languidly swaying and he was trying to reach for it but couldnât quite capture it. Mimi, on the other hand, had taken her shoes off and was shoveling sand into them and then dumped some sand on her hair.
âOh boy,â she sighed, unspooling most of her being from Adora so she could scoop the needy baby into her arms. Claws still retracted, she held him against her purring chest and brushed some sand from his forehead. âHi. Want my tail?â
Well, Adora figured this was what theyâd earned for getting distracted. While Catra scooped up Jax again, she scooped up the now sand-covered little girl. She brushed some of the sand out of Mimiâs hair with one hand, trying not to look amused so she wouldnât encourage her to try to do it again.
âAlright, messy girl, what do you say we have some swing time?â she suggested, carrying her off in that direction.
âWeâre comiiiiiiing!â Catra called out, pacing behind her wife quickly with a bundle of clingy baby in her arms. There was a swing for Mimi to climb into that was age-appropriate for her, and theyâd set up one for Jax too - something safe that would keep him caged in.
But he didnât seem like he wanted to get ready into it yet, so latched onto Catra he remained. She was fine with it - she didnât mind standing and bouncing him gently. âStart observing and taking notes for our own playground set, princess,â she smirked.
âTaking mental notes,â Adora replied with a very dramatic seriousness, before a smirk of her own cracked across her face. She settled Mimi into the appropriately toddler-secured swing seat and raised her little hands to wrap around the chains on either side of her. âAlright, kiddo, you ready? Hold on tight!â