WHAT: Adam's homesick and in his feelings about Teela; Adora listens and tries to distract him WHERE: Darla WHEN: Last night WARNINGS: Just some sadness STATUS: Complete
Adamâs first couple weeks in Vallo had consisted, largely, of recovering from the shock of returning from the dead, only to have been run through by Skeletor and flung into another dimension, and then Teela had followed him, pulled from some point in his future, but still the Teela he knew and adored.
He hadnât had much time to dwell on home, of all the people and friends heâd left behind. Or rather, he hadnât let himself have much time to dwell on home. Teela was there with him, and while he missed his other friends, she was like a balm to take away most of the sting of it. And now she was gone, and here he was, sitting on top of Darla staring at the stars, knees pulled to his chest, chin resting on them, thinking about Duncan and Cringer and Teela, of his parents, of Orko and Mossman, and all his other friends back home. Even the night sky was different here, a whole different galaxy twinkling above him.
He missed home. He missed being the Champion of Eternia. He even missed being Prince of Eternia, which was a title that had always fit like a too-small suit. And as much as he liked Vallo, loved Adora, had been happy to finally find his sister after a lifetime of hoping, he wondered why Vallo had decided to send Teela home without him.
Adam hadnât been staying with Catra and Adora long, but Adora was glad he was. It had forced her into the position to deal with her baggage and put more effort into being a good sister. Being a sister was a new feeling for her; she loved Glimmer and Bow, but sheâd never considered them siblings. Even Lonnie, Rogelio, Kyle - the cadets she and Catra had grown up with - had never been what sheâd consider siblings. Sheâd only started feeling that bond after coming to Vallo and had âadoptedâ brothers of her own in Richie and Leon.
Sheâd never expected to have a real one, whoâd been out there wondering about her their whole lives. She was absolutely terrified she would let him down, but she knew she had to step up and try. If she didnât, that would be a let-down. It was a whole vicious circle, and she needed as few of those in her life (and in her headful of swirling anxiety) as she could manage.
She knew Adam was struggling with losing Teela. She and Catra had been upset to see her go, but she was Adamâs person. Despite the chipper face he put on, she knew it had to be hurting him to be without her. She wished she could say she couldnât imagine how it felt for him to lose Teela - but, well, she could and the very thought broke her. She wouldnât know how to function on her own here (or any world, honestly) without Catra, and she hoped that never came to pass. She wasnât as tough as Adam - handling this with grace and strength that she knew she wouldnât possess in his shoes.
He was only human, though, she knew that, too. He had his sad moments, and she knew he must be having one of them when she brought Spirit, Abby, and Pop Tart out for their late-night bathroom trip and saw him sitting on top of Darla, instead of in the room he had claimed for as long as he stayed with them. After ushering the dogs inside, she took the elevator up to the top of Darla, hesitating a few feet away before she approached.
âWant some company?â
âIâm not much of a businessman, but I wonât say no if you want to come sit next to me,â Adam said, shooting Adora a grin as he scooted over, not so much to give her room â there was plenty of room on top of Darla â but to show that she was welcome to come sit next to him. âSorry, I probably shouldâve let the dogs out before I came up here. Iâve never really had pets before,â well, aside from Cringer, but Cringer didnât really count; first of all, he was less a pet than a friend, fully capable of talking and thinking for himself, ad second of all, he could help himself out whenever he needed to, âso I donât always think about it.â
âItâs okay,â Adora assured him. She wasnât up here to chastise him and probably wouldnât have thought to at all if it wasnât for his apology. She didnât mind taking the dogs out on her own; they were good dogs, despite Pop Tart being a little hyperactive. They filled up her home, and she liked that. She sat down beside him, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. âAre you okay?â
The temptation to say that he was fine, to maybe make another bad joke, was strong. That wasnât fair though, not to Adora, his sister, who cared about him. And so he sighed, and rested his chin back on his knees, looking back at the sky.
âIâm just feeling a little homesick,â Adam admitted. âAnd⊠not useless, exactly, butâŠâ He frowned. âI left Preternia so I could become Eterniaâs champion again. And then, instead, I was brought to Vallo, and Vallo doesnât really need a champion. It has lots of them already. Iâm glad I can do my part, but I think a lot of my contentment was because Teela was here with me. And now that sheâs gone⊠I know itâs not personal, but I keep wondering about why it would send back Eterniaâs Sorceress without her Champion.â
Adam was right. No matter how it felt, she didnât think Vallo was personally targeting anyone when it took people away. Adora wasnât sure the ins and outs of the process, why it did what it did when it did, and really, the only explanation people had come up with was âbecause magicâ, basically. It wasnât a satisfying answer, no matter who was taken.
âWell,â she began, slowly trying to piece together just what to say. âYouâre probably right. Vallo may not need Champions, but I donât think theyâre going to turn any down. This might not be Eternia, but itâs still a place that needs protecting. And Iâve always thought that since weâre kind of intruding on someone elseâs home, stepping up to defend and protect it is the right thing to do.â
That, of course, didnât address the âTeelaâ of it all, but she was getting there. She just didnât want to say anything that was going to make him sadder. âI know how much you must miss her,â she said, reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder. âI have no idea why the two of you wouldnât be sent back together. And I know no one here can replace her or fill that hole, but youâre still her Champion, even if sheâs not with you. She would want you to do your best and be happy, right?â
âIt is the right thing to do, and Iâm not going to quit Defense or anything,â Adam assured her. Every little bit helped, he knew, and he wasnât about to withdraw his help just because he was no longer instrumental in his homeâs protection. âItâs just hard not to think sometimes that Iâd be more useful⊠somewhere else.â
Somewhere else like home.
âShe would, yeah,â Adam said, tilting his head so he could rest it on Adoraâs hand for a moment, and then he lifted it, and smiled at her. âAnd Iâm glad that I get to spend a little bit more time here with you, and Catra. It means a lot that Vallo gave me this chance to meet you.â
Adora nodded along. She understood that. She-Ra had pitched in around here, but it wasnât the same as what sheâd been doing on Etheria. Maybe that was a good thing - she was sure Catra would say so. Everything wasnât on her shoulders, and she did enjoy that feeling. But she was also used to being needed, and in most cases around here, she wasnât, really. It had taken her a while to adjust to that, and it would take Adam some time, too, she was sure.
âIâm glad you did, too,â Adora grinned, scooting a little closer. Her hand shifted, the entire arm now looping through Adamâs, like she might do with Glimmer and Bow. âMaybe itâs silly and selfish of me, but I hope you stay here even longer. I know you miss Teela, but Iâm just getting to know you, andâŠI donât want to lose you.â
Adam accepted the contact, resting his head against Adoraâs. âI donât think itâs silly or selfish. I donât want to lose you either.â And if getting to know Adora, if making up for all those last years, meant that he stayed in Vallo by himself a little longer, that was a price he was willing to pay.
It felt silly and selfish, especially when Adam was so clearly missing Teela, but Adora appreciated the reassurance. She knew that he was hurting but he still meant what he said. He had never been anything but earnest and honest with her, and that was one of the things she loved about him.
âHey, so I was thinking, we should do something together. Like, a twin bonding thing,â she suggested, squeezing his forearm gently. âMaybe you can help me with the whole yard project, if you want? Or I was thinking of taking a class at the community college. Catra says I need non-punching hobbies.â
âI would love that,â Adam said, perking up nearly immediately.
He wasnât entirely clueless, and heâd known that Adora hadnât been as enthused about the whole twin revelation as Adam had been, had almost seemed reluctant at times. He hadnât pushed her; he was pretty sure that if heâd tried, heâd have only stressed Adora out more. Sheâd never seemed disappointed, or like she regretted the revelation, and so Adam had tried not to worry too much about it. He knew heâd just needed to wait for her to come around to the idea herself.
And now it seemed like she had. Maybe he should have downplayed his enthusiasm for it a little more.
âI can definitely help with the lawn project! And taking classes at the community college. Was there anything in particular you were wanting to learn? Please, please donât tell me you were thinking of something like history or math.â
It was no secret that Adora had taken a while to warm up to the idea of having a twin - and it was still a work in progress. But the best way to assuage any fears she had was to make an effort, so thatâs what she was doing. She already enjoyed spending time with Adam, she knew that. So, maybe doing something that was just the two of them would strengthen things up even more. That was her hope, anyway.
She wrinkled up her nose and shook her head at the classes he mentioned. She had never taken classes like that and had no strong desire to do so now. She had a handle on math and knew enough about Vallo to get by. âNo way,â she assured him. âI wanted to do something a little more fun, and involving numbers is never fun. And I can Google history things or pick up history books if I need to know them.â
She hesitated a moment, wondering if Adam would approve, before continuing. âI was actually thinking about photography, maybe?â Lance had given her this cool Polaroid camera for her birthday that sheâd been using much more frequently lately. She enjoyed it and had even volunteered to help Katou film whatever B horror movie he came up with when the time came. It seemed wise to actually educate herself, so sheâd know what she was doing when the time came. âBut we can choose something together!â
Adam let out a sigh of relief, a little exaggerated, especially added when he brought his hand to his chest. âOh good. Youâre right, numbers are never fun. But photography could be. Iâve never done it before. Do you take lots of photos already?â
âOh yeah, tons! Mostly on my phone, but Iâve been trying to use the Polaroid more often lately. And Iâve been looking into something closer to a professional camera if I want to get serious about it, but I feel like maybe I should take the class first?â
From what she knew, they would provide you with a camera to use for class. She figured if she liked it and really wanted to pursue it more seriously, that was when sheâd start considering investing in a proper camera. They had mostly recovered their money loss from the wedding, but they were trying to be more diligent in saving for whenever Finn came along. And for a new TV - the last one had been destroyed at Scorpiaâs claw, and she had decided there was no sense in spending on a new one for now, but theyâd get there.
âYou wanna try the Polaroid? I just got a batch of new film, we can try it inside.â
Adam smiled, soft, warm, and fond. He didnât know anything at all about photography, and hadnât taken many photos himself, even now that he was carrying a camera around with him nearly everywhere he went. But if Adora liked it, then he was at least willing to learn how to do it, and he thought there was a pretty good chance that heâd grow to like it too.
âYeah, Iâd love to try the Polaroid,â Adam said. âI think Iâm about done out here anyway.â