WHAT: Adora takes Catra out for ice cream and they talk WHERE: Twistee Treat then Darla WHEN: Today WARNINGS: Mention of abuse and talk about Adora's scars STATUS: Complete
So was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that - or however many days itâs been since that weird thingy happened at the Fright Zone. Catra didnât fully understand the extent of it all but most of it was overshadowed by the overwhelming abundance of stuff. Places and things and people sheâs never seen before and Adora, who was big and smelled the same but also a little bit different but was also a princess? A good princess? Since that existed?
She didnât believe it at first but her mind was b l o w n. Like, wow. Guess that made sense though - almost everyone in the Fright Zone was mean anyway, why wouldnât they lie about dumb stuff? After accepting that, she kind of rolled with it. People were nice to her (for once). Someone cried because she sneezed once (they called her cute??) and that was kind of weird. No one yelled or hit her. She got naps, and Adora let her zoom around on all fours really fast when she had that itch of energy. There were things to scratch, and food wasnât ration bars she barely got anymore and she tried mac nâ cheese and pudding and poured a whole box of cereal in her mouth.
(That made her throw up though, sorry Adora.)
Now they were out and about, and she got to wear clothes that didnât itch anymore (these pajamas have Rogelio on them!!!), and Adora helped her get the knots of her floof of hair and she was riding on Adoraâs back because she could. She was big, and strong, and Catra was a little upset that she wasnât big and strong like her right now but they were also getting ice cream (sheâs had some on the spaceship-home-place, ate too much, also threw up) so sheâd get over it.
âI like this place,â Catra chirped, plopping her chin onto Adoraâs shoulder. Melog was with them too, insistent on being around (but had also downgraded themselves into more of a house-cat size so they wouldnât be too intimidating for their smaller friend) and walking beside them. âWeâre staying here forever, right??â
Adora was still grumpy about this whole situation.
First of all, why did Hordak and Entrapta have something that made people younger in that lab? It made no sense. If anything, it would make more sense to build something that would age up the little cadets faster if Hordak was that desperate for troops. Having some sort of raygun that had made her 21-year-old wife into her five-year-old best friend served no purpose other than to freak Adora out.
(Like, sheâd yelled at Scorpia. Kind of a lot and kind of loudly. She felt bad for it now, but a simple day of renovations turning into this had set off all her panic alarms.)
Second of all, she couldnât fix it. That drove her crazy, made her anxiety bubble back to the surface and simmer there while she tried to keep it under control. Hitting her with the ray again hadnât been a viable plan, since the thing was in pieces, so they hadnât. Instead, sheâd called Wanda, and well - she had regrets there. She hadnât considered how it would look to poor Catra, who was just a baby living under Shadow Weaverâs thumb - and their former mentor had never been kind to her. Even at that age, sheâd denigrated her, smacked her, used magic against her when she âmisbehavedâ (which really boiled down to simply exhibiting catlike traits, which was literally in her biology).
Wandaâs magic wasnât being used that way, but the way the red had unfurled from her hands, coloring her eyes the same startling shade - yeah, mistakes were made. Catra cried, Adora cried, Wanda cried - she felt bad for that, when Wanda was only trying to help her. But at least it had made clear that the answer to this was reversing things through the tech that had caused it, not through any of the abundance of magic users at their disposal.
In spite of all this, she wasnât outwardly grumpy and never toward Catra. She was enjoying having Catra on Darla with her (and Adam and Melog and the dogs and Ivy) and watching her get to have fun. She wasnât so keen on the throwing up incidents (particularly the clean-up that followed), but Catra was enjoying life in a way she hadnât when they were growing up. She was eating food - sugary, unhealthy food, mostly, but better than ration bars. She got to run around and wear Finnâs clothes (which had definitely made Adora cry again, but sheâd covered it by just saying they were happy tears - and they were, mostly).
Sheâd decided she was going to give Catra a taste of feeling happy while she was this age. She kind of hoped she remembered it when she was back to herself. She couldnât say it wasnât a little weird, but watching her smile and hearing that squeaky, adorable little laugh of hers was enough to smooth over the weird parts and just focus on the good.
She chuckled when Catra settled into her, keeping her steady on her back with very little effort on her part. She leaned her head into that wild mane of dark hair - tamed now but nearly as big as her when she was so little (minuscule compared to an average five-year-old, just like their future baby) - and nodded.
âYeah,â she confirmed. âForeverâs the plan. Weâve been really, really happy here.â She wouldnât get into the specifics about how they really didnât know if it was actually forever or just forever-until-Vallo-decided-to-kick-them-out. There had been enough adult information crammed into baby Catraâs head, and that was hardly something she needed to think about right now.
âCool,â she answered simply, satisfied with that answer. This Catra wasnât complicated. She wasnât harboring years of rage and resentment - and if she was happy, then she didnât see what the problem was. She might miss Rogelio and Kyle (maybe even Lonnie sometimes) but there was also no Shadow Weaver and that made her (mostly) happy. âThe Hordeâs dumb. I know we said weâd take over and be supreme overlords and run the place one day but this is waaaaay better!â
There was no set time to wake up or a curfew, no drills and boring classes and scary princess stories. The beds here were comfy! Cartoons were awesome, and Vallo was really pretty and smelled nice. It didnât take much to please her.
Her arms tightened around her neck briefly but it was supposed to be a hug, not a chokehold. And if it was - sorry! âAre we getting the same kind of tastes of ice cream? Or other kinds?? And Iâm not supposed to bite it, right? It hurts my teeth. Is it supposed to? Is there a gray ration bar flavored ice cream?â
That was the thing about kids - they asked a lot of questions, and Catra asked more than the norm considering sheâs never had these experiences in her life until now.
Rarely did Adora hear Catra say the word âcoolâ without some sarcasm behind it, but five-year-old Catra was truly content with Adoraâs answer. It was another one of those things that was weird, but sheâd take it. If Catra was happy, she was happy - even if the somewhat excessive crying sheâd been doing in the little oneâs presence might not send that message.
She didnât have time to dwell on that, though, or much of anything else because Catra was full of questions. Adora chuckled and squeezed those little arms around her neck with one hand. âNo biting, youâre right. Youâre supposed to lick and only bite for the cone if you have one. And no gray ration bar flavors, but there are soooo many other flavors. You can try whichever one you want.â
She was going to be more careful with the amount she allowed, but the ice cream shop she was heading to didnât hand out quarts and allow children to eat all of it in one sitting. That had been her own dumbass move and she had learned her lesson after cleaning up the aftermath, thanks. Little Catra was reminding her of a lot of childcare things sheâd have to remember for Finn in the future.
âHere we are!â She came to a stop in front of Twistee Treat. There were a few scattered throughout the city, and it was always Adoraâs personal favorite. It was a small building with only outdoor seating and a drive-thru. There was a line right now, a lot of kids with their parents or older siblings, since it was a nice afternoon. It was moving steadily but not particularly quickly - which was fine, gave her time to browse the menu and start reading the flavors off to Catra.
No biting, just licking. Got it. Catra may have been a little over eager back on Darla and also maybe have given herself a brain freeze (which, coupled with the vomiting, made her think she was dying and being poisoned) but she was determined to have this experience go smoothly.
Issue was - she barely had a clue what those flavors Adora was even listing meant.
The selections Adora was relaying was overwhelming. So was the menu, and then there was even a window of where you could see the stuff? Catraâs brows furrowed and she squirmed, scaling down her back for a better view. And by better view, that meant she cut in line (lines were stupid) and smooshed her face up into the cold glass to see.
Melog stood up on their hindlegs and did the same thing.
ââDoraaaaaa,â she called out and blinked over her shoulder, frowning. âWhat does Big Me like?â
Adora got a couple of glares for Catraâs behavior, but there were a few versions of an adoring âawwwâ mixed in there. She smiled sheepishly and slipped out of line for a minute to gently guide Catra (and Melog, trotting alongside her faithfully) back to their space in line. Thankfully, the woman behind her didnât seem to mind that particular move or sheâd have been shunted to the back of the line.
âCatra, you have to wait with me here,â she told her, reaching down to take her hand. She wasnât mean or upset, but she wanted to make sure Catra knew. This wasnât the Horde, but there were still some rules, even if Adora hadnât been particularly stringent at home. âAnd to answer your question, Big You loves Kit Kat ice cream. You remember that big candy bar I gave you in the red wrapper? The one you could break into four little sticks? They make ice cream just like that.â
Catra had little regard for rules even in her youth - she didnât really care for sticking in line (rowdy behavior that had gotten corrected out of her, not in the nicest way) but Adora was telling her nicely, so. She listened. There were more important things to focus on anyway and that was the revelation bestowed upon her.
Candy flavors could be - ice cream flavors?????
âWoah,â she gasped quietly, eyes (and pupils!) wide and sparkling. She was stunned. Floored. Amazed. What a world. She looked up at Adora, tugging at her and whispering: âThatâs crazy.â Like it was some grand, ridiculous secret of the universe.
She wanted it.
The line moved, and Catra pulled at Adora by the hand to get closer. She rocked herself back and forth on her heels because she was eager. âWe must get this stuff every day,â she deduced with a sage nod. âIf not then weâre stupid.â
Adora smiled. She knew Catra had been cute when they were kids but being a kid herself, she hadnât really had the ability to fully appreciate it. Now, as odd as this whole situation was and as much as it stressed her out, she got to witness it and understand it. There was a bittersweet taste to it - knowing what had happened, what had molded her into the woman who Adora loved, rough spots and all. But she couldnât help wondering how sheâd have turned out if she got to grow up here, got to let all her dreams come true and hold onto hope just a little bit longer.
She reached down to scoop Catra up again, situating her on her hip and leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. âMaybe not every day,â she replied with an exaggerated grimace. âBut a lot of days! Especially if theyâre sad days. Ice cream can make sad days feel much better.â
Catra wasnât used to being held like this. It wasnât - bad? But it was different, and she was more used to an Adora that was her size and not, like, a grown up. It wasnât fair that she was tiny (again, apparently??) but someone was supposed to fix it soon. Then sheâd be bigger, and she would be picking Adora up and carrying her instead.
Obviously!
âPfffffft,â she blew out like a raspberry, rolling her eyes. âWhat do we have to be sad about? I have you, and you have me.â An echo of nothing bad can happen, the promise of protecting each other and staying together forever. It was a vow they abided by since they were scrawny things sitting together on a bunk - and it was the vow that Catra always grew to rely on (until she couldnât). âThis is awesome! We can do whatever the fuck we want.â
There may have been some noises of surprise and some looks gleaned their way. Catra wasnât sure why; she wasnât saying anything the older cadets didnât! She hissed at them to basically say mind your business.
Melog audibly snickered.
Of course they had each other. The sentiment, so sincere and matter-of-fact coming from this little version of Catra, made Adoraâs heart swell. This Catra may not be her wife, but she was still Catra. Even fifteen years younger, she knew Adora better than anyone, knew how to put her completely at ease.
She laughed when Catra swore, more at the reactions around them than the word slipping from her mouth. She probably should have been more embarrassed and apologetic, like sheâd been when Catra cut in front of an entire line of people, but she found it strangely adorable?? Maybe she shouldnât, but âfuckâ was one of Catraâs most commonly used words. Hearing it come out of her five-year-old selfâs mouth was both comforting and hilarious.
She decided it was best not to get into the ins and outs of sadness with her, however, especially as they moved up the line and came up to the window. Adora put in Catraâs order first: Kit Kat ice cream in a waffle cone - small, so Catra didnât go too wild and make herself sick again - with rainbow sprinkles on top. For herself, she ordered an Oreo sundae with everything. Sheâd let Catra have a taste, no worries.
After a few minutes, they were both handed their treats and Adora ushered Catra over to one of the little plastic tables outside. âAlright, eat up and tell me what you think!â
âIâm going to eat this for every meal for the rest of my life,â was Baby Catraâs opinion - she had licked it when Adora put it in her hands immediately, even the little rainbow stuff that she wasnât too sure about (but they were good and she trusted Adora, DUH). Her seat was also too big for her, or maybe she was too small for it but either way Melog had space to climb up and sit beside her with somewhat begging eyes.
She didnât hesitate to offer them a taste, and let out a scratchy giggle at them licking at her cone too. Adjusting to Melog had been quick and they were always with her; she loved them a lot already.
Bringing back the ice cream to her mouth, she paid little attention to how much of it was beginning to smear on her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Adoraâs looked good too - sheâd ask for some in a bit - but she had a question first. âHey Adora,â she started, the phrase lacking mischief and the crooked grin. It was innocently curious, and she watched her with inquisitive eyes. âWhy do you have so many scars?â
Adora definitely had her phone out the second Melog crawled into the oversized chair to sit with Catra. There would one-hundred percent be photo evidence of the two of them being adorable, ice cream-sharing babies together. Her adult wife was so going to grumble and roll her eyes at her for this behavior when she got back, but she was okay with that. They didnât have much from their childhood, despite the Fright Zone being here. And it wasnât as if most of it was sentimental, so that was probably for the best. But now that she had a chance to see her tiny Catra giggling and at peace, the camera was out and out frequently.
She set the phone back down to focus on her ice cream, though, keeping one eye on Catra to make sure she didnât make too much of a mess. They could clean her up afterwards; she was enjoying herself, and that was really all that mattered to Adora.
At this point, Adora also anticipated there would be questions and lots of them. Catra was curious and had no qualms about asking whatever popped into her head. Still, the last thing sheâd expected was a question about her scars, and there was a split second where she just kind of froze - spoon halfway to her mouth - and stared at the little girl across from her.
But she recovered, finished her bite, then traced her fingers over the talon marks across her jaw. âYou mean like these?â she asked, since those were the only scars clearly visible right now. âI got those here in Vallo about a year ago,â she revealed. âA turkey scratched me and knocked me down, gave me a concussion. Thatâs not so many, though, right?â
Catra understood only some of that. A concussion - she knew that word, itâs when you hit your head too hard. Adora did that sometimes since she tripped a lot. The turkey thing, though⊠âI don't know what turkeys are,â she admitted with a deep frown, and the way she was watching Adora could be described as a bit intense. Like her five-year-old brain was trying to pick her apart, study and understand this older version of her even though it felt like things hadnât changed too much.
Wishing that she was taller, she shifted in the chair until she was sitting more on her knees. âAre turkeys monsters?â she asked, head cocked to the side. One of her hands had some melted ice cream that had dribbled on it so of course she used that same one to push a kitten tuft away from her face. âDid they give you the ones on your back too? I donât like that they hurt you.â
One time Adora fell and scraped her knee and cried. Catra didnât like that and licked her wound to feel better. If she could fight the floor for hurting her friend she would have.
Oh. Adora wasnât sure why she hadnât realized Catra had seen those scars. Modesty wasnât something ingrained in them by the Horde, and although sheâd become more conscious about it now that her brother was living with them, changing in front of Catra was second nature to her, even if she was currently pint-sized. She was glad to see Catra didnât seem traumatized or anything, but she wasnât sure how to explain. She didnât want to lie, butâŠit was a lot for someone so small and innocent.
Thankfully, she had the opportunity to distract her by, once again, picking up her phone and turning to Google. She found a picture of a turkey and turned it around so Catra could see, at the same time realizing she probably should have grabbed some extra napkins or maybe a spare bowl. Shower time was definitely happening when they got back to Darla.
âThis is a turkey. Itâs basically just a big bird. It doesnât usually knock people down, but this was a special kind of one that was really dangerous.â She tucked the phone back away before sticky paws could reach out for it before she continued. âThey only gave me the ones here on my face, though. The ones on my back are⊠Well, theyâre a really long, complicated story.â
âEwwwwwwwwwww,â Catra grimaced at the turkey image because they were gross and definitely monsters. If she saw one out in Vallo then sheâd definitely know now that they were the worst and she would protect Adora from them at all costs. Fucking jerk birds.
The sticky hands were kept to herself though. And her face. And her kitten tufts, again, as she pushed it away from her face a second time. There was a breeze messing with them and it was annoying. âHowâs it complicated though???â she pushed on, finally able to bite into the cone and that was like the best part. It was really good! Crunchy. âYou never get in trouble so you couldnât do something bad to have gotten them. Was it another monster??â
Then she gasped, and threw her hands up into the air in dramatic excitement. âDID YOU BEAT THEM?!â
Catraâs enthusiasm made Adora laugh, smiling at her fondly despite the complexities behind the question. She didnât know what she was asking, what she was saying. She didnât know anything that would happen between them when they got older - all the hurt and anguish theyâd share, struggling against each other for far too long. All she knew was Adora was her best friend, and she was hurt, and it must have been a monster. What else could leave marks like that?
âNo, it wasnât a monster,â Adora assured her, scooping up another spoonful of her sundae and offering it out to Catra to taste. âIt was someone I love very much, but weâŠwent through some pretty bad times. And we said and did some things we regret.â
That was as simplistically as she could think to explain things, and it was all true, if glossed over. The details werenât important, not right now. They were so far past all of it, and she didnât want to dredge it all back up. It would involve a thousand more stories to make her understand. Baby Catra didnât need to hear all of that.
âBut weâre okay now,â she added with a sincere grin. âWe fixed it all, and the scarsâŠtheyâre sort of just a reminder that we can get through everything together, even the bad times.â
Yay, she gets a bite! Catra eagerly leaned forward to it, accepting the spoon in her mouth as Adora explained - and she also just kept the utensil in her mouth as she processed, the gears in her head turning.
Someone who Adora loved did that? Who was it? Did Adora love them more than she loved Catra? Did Catra know them? Even with the reassurances she didnât like what she was being told, and her eyes narrowed to complete the angry floof look she always gave to everyone at that age. Not always at Adora but sometimes at Adora. This was one of those times.
âWell,â she groused once she pulled back. âI donât like it. If you're still friends with them, fine, but I hate them for you. I look out for you, âmember? I shoulda been there!!â
The next bite into her cone was a grumpy one. Melogâs mane was even pink, parts of it pointed and jagged. Catra was a little upset, okay. Stupid person being stupid and hurting Adora like that.
Awww. Adora wanted to grab little Catraâs face and smush it and kiss it all over. She was so pure, a tiny little cinnamon roll at this age, before the abuses Shadow Weaver had inflicted on her had started taking their toll. She was a little wild but that protective streak she still nurtured was right there, prominently on display. It was so cute.
âDonât be a grump,â Adora teased her, nudging at her little leg under the table with her boot. She could see that Catra was upset - her expression was plain enough, but Melogâs mildly spiky mane was a dead giveaway, too - and she didnât want her to be upset. âYouâre still my favorite person in the whole wide world, I promise.â
That did the trick. Melogâs mane cooled. Catraâs ears took the slightest dip down but not in a bad way - it was relief. She was insecure, okay. Adora always made friends so easily and everyone liked her. Catra was always up to some kind of trouble or getting in trouble, getting picked on because of her size and softness (soft things didnât belong in the Horde). Sometimes she cried too easily or purred at the wrong time, and didnât always know how to control her claws.
Adora was her one good thing. And she guessed it was fiiiiine if she had other friends, but she wanted to always be the favorite.
âI better be,â she huffed, milking the âgrumpâ a little longer before a smile split her sticky, sugar-covered face. âBut I believe you âcause you promised. Youâre always going to be my favorite.â
Honesty came with this age. This was before she figured out how to wield sarcasm, before she figured out that feelings were weak and she should shove them down before anyone noticed - before the this isnât because I like you came to be, a coded secret she wished Adora figured out how to decipher as they got older.
It took one more bite to finish off her cone. Her hands were a mess - she didnât care. âCan I haf ânother?â she forced out, mouth full and in between chews.
Oh no. If there was one thing little Catra had learned about big Adora, it was that she was absolutely weak for her. She wanted her to have all the nice things, anything and everything, including sugary food that she probably should have been monitoring more closely. She was trying to do that now, if only to save herself having to clean up more vomit. It was just a matter of turning her down gently when all she wanted to do was give in to the adorable, soft baby she was right now.
âI think oneâs enough for today,â she said, her tone breezy and soft. âYouâre a mess right now, anyway. Why donât we get you back to Darla and clean up and then we can watch some more movies? And maybe have popcorn? I bet we can get all the pets to pile up on the couch with us.â
Okay, so maybe that was still sort of giving in, but popcorn was salty versus the sweetness of ice cream. That had to be an improvement, right?
Adora was met with a very distinguished hmph. Obvious disappointment contorted her face - the crinkled nose, pouty lips, plus the (one) frustrated lash of her tail.
âWhateeeeever,â she relented with a roll of her eyes. âIf you were little like me then youâd want all the ice cream too. Being a grown up is boring. It changed you!â
Was this an act of total betrayal? Absolutely not. Was Catra a dramatic little shit? Absolutely yes.
She slid off the chair and hopped to her feet (her legs were extra short, okay). Melog followed. âI wanna see the movie with the fish again,â Catra announced and pulled on Adoraâs arm. Finding Nemo and Dory - yeah, sheâs watched those already. Twice. She had no idea what was happening half the time, but it turns out that Catra just really liked to be fixated by fish. The first time, she tried lunging at the screen to catch one. She was smarter now. âCarry me!â
Adora cleared out their garbage into the nearby trash can just as Catra approached her to be picked up. It was her turn to roll her eyes, playfully, before acquiescing and lifting the little kitten into her arms. She was so small and adorable, despite the sticky mess sheâd made of herself with that ice cream cone, and Adora couldnât resist her. But gods, this was weird at times, and not just because Catra had called her boring.
(How dare she, honestly, even if it was kind of true. Or completely true. She had never been the more exciting of the two of them, but now she had real, adult responsibilities and stuff.)
âWe will watch the fish movie again,â she replied dutifully. She didnât mind watching Finding Nemo and Finding Dory on loop if it was requested. She was pretty sure there was no following of the story happening, but watching her swat at Darlaâs windows (because they were still down a TV after Scorpiaâs zappy destruction, so it was front-row-of-a-movie-theater viewing at all times) like she might catch them was cute. And hilarious, especially when Melog and Ivy joined in.
âThink you can take the Waypoint this time? I know it makes you kinda sick, but itâs way faster.â And given Catra was dripping milk byproducts, she thought faster might be more beneficial than the leisurely walk that had brought them here.
Could she? Catra thought about it, looking offended that Adora dared even imply that she couldnât. Those were the crystal thingies that took you places. She wasnât too sure about them, and seeing so much magic happen around her was weird. None of it felt painful though?? But, still. Weird. She didnât exactly like it yet.
âDuh,â she replied eventually, shrugging like it was no big deal and she was tough, and that Waypoints didnât make her sick at all! Catra would be fine. âI can handle it. Iâm not a baby, Adora.â
Like, wasnât that obvious by now? Geez.
Adult Catra probably would have taken them here on her bike. She hated teleportation in all its forms, even the Waypoints. Adora was okay with regular transport for the most part; sheâd gotten used to the bike, and she never minded walking somewhere or taking the bus, a Lyft, whatever. Taking a Waypoint together was mostly unheard of these days, unless there was some sort of desperate reason they needed it.
She knew even Catra in her smaller form hated those things more than sheâd admit. They had been living here for over a year, and there had not been a single occasion where theyâd taken a Waypoint ride that she hadnât come out of it nauseous. But she wasnât going to argue if she was insisting on being tough - the next Waypoint they found, they took, and they landed not too far away from Darla.
Oh no. This was terrible.
The whole thing happened so fast that Catra didnât have a second to protest and change her mind even if she wanted to. One second there was the icecream store and odd buildings and people and then - forest, the smells of urban city living gone and replaced with grass and soil. Her stomach must have moved. She felt it go up, like it was working its way up her throat. The whole thing left her cross-eyed and dazed for a few seconds.
âI hate that,â she whined and went hilariously slack in Adoraâs arms, head falling into her shoulders. âI donât want to throw up again, âDora.â
Turns out that she could not handle a Waypoint - especially after fresh consumption of sugar - and everything was now awful. What did she do to deserve this pain?
Oh shit, no. See, sometimes even Adora-all-grown-up still did some really dumb things without thinking. Pulling Catra through a Waypoint when she knew sheâd get nauseous directly after eating ice cream? That was one of those dumb choices. Maybe she should have just walked them home or called for a car.
But they were here now. She squeezed Catraâs hand and crouched down beside her, rubbing her back. âYouâre okay. Just take a few deep breaths, okay? I promise I wonât let you throw up again.â She was doing her best to avoid exactly that by monitoring how much Catra ate. Hopefully that would count for something here.
Catra was determined to never use that again. Even if it made moving around this place super fast. She felt icky, but she was going to be okay - and maybe even decided to use Adoraâs hovering to her advantage. (A little bit!)
âI think,â she breathed out, and looked Adora square in the eye with the most serious look her small face could muster. Her hands were on her knees while she recovered from that sudden wave of nausea that hit her but, on the bright side - no kitten vomit this time! âI think I need ice cream again. To feel better.â
It was worth a try.
Crafty little thing. Adora narrowed her eyes at her miniature best friend in a playful glare, smiling at her. âI think not,â she told her, holding firm to what sheâd said. âShower time, then youâll get popcorn. But Iâm not having a repeat of the ice cream gorging incident. That was gross for both of us, remember? Shower time, then popcorn. Probably.â
She scooped baby Catra back up into her arms (the least she could do since her thoughtlessness had made her feel sick) and carried her up the ramp into Darla, Melog trotting along right beside them.
Forty minutes, one shower, and a lengthy hair-brushing session later, she presented the popcorn in a big bowl to Catra on the couch, with Spirit flanking her on one side and Abby, Teelaâs basset hound, on the other. âNo sharing with the puppies no matter what faces they make,â she reminded her. Abby was less interested, but Spirit and Pop Tart, Adamâs puppy who peered at them from the opposite end of the couch, were beggars.
âGoddamnit,â cursed Little Catra under her breath, her nefarious plot having failed and then she was whisked away to clean up. Boo. Showers here were okay though - the water wasnât harsh like in the Fright Zone, and there was some nice smelling stuff that left her feeling extra soft. The Rogelio Pajamas had to go, though. They were covered in dried chocolate spots and now she was stuck picking out some other clothes and who the hell was baby shark??
Whatever.
She grabbed the bowl, hugging it to her chest. âI donât even wanna share,â she mumbled and scooped a handful of popcorn to shove in her mouth. Of course, a few pieces fell. The hounds were ready for it. âI canât wait to be a grown up again. Iâm going to eat all the ice cream ever and youâre not going to tell me what to do.â
Yes, she was still salty that her request got denied.
Oh yeah, Pop Tart and Spirit wasted no time clambering off the couch to scoop up the popcorn pieces that bounced to the floor. Adora bit back a sigh but took advantage of Spirit vacating his place to slide onto the couch beside her pouting little kitten and press a kiss to the top of her head. She was cute when she pouted no matter the age - something about those magicat genes and the furrowed brow - but she was extra adorable now. Even at her grumpiest, Adora knew she was happy right now, and she liked that sheâd been able to give her that.
âI still tell you what to do when youâre grown up, too,â she teased. Not that Catra listened, unless it was something deadly serious. Part of their relationship had always been constantly bickering, and Adora thrived off it. Catra had always challenged her and always would. It was one of the many, many things she loved about her.
âYou got popcorn. Thatâs good, too, right? And later, for dinner, we can have sushi if you want?â She hadnât offered that to Catra in her littler form yet, and despite her own dislike of the food as a whole, she was excited to see if sheâd love it as much as she did as an adult.
Catra was happy. Proof of it was in the purrs, a smitten rumble of a baby thundercloud vibrating from her throat the moment Adora cozied up next to her. Everything seemed so simple and uncomplicated; as long as she had Adora, everything was fine. Nothing bad could happen when they had each other.
(But even as a child, a part of her felt like this was too good to be true.)
âI dunno what that is,â she shrugged - which, in fairness, was her response to most of what was suggested to her but she went with it. Adora knew her. She hadnât been disappointed in what she had been introduced to. Shifting so the bowl was stable on her lap, she leaned into her Really Big Best Friend and blinked those gleaming, feline eyes up at her. âHey Adora?â
Her voice had gotten softer. Smaller. She grabbed another handful of popcorn and offered it to her. âDo you think Shadow Weaver misses us?â
Right, obviously Catra had no idea what sushi was. Adora would let her be surprised. She seemed to have taken well to just about everything else sheâd been given, and there was no way sheâd be upset to be handed a bunch of fish rolls, right? Sheâd put in an order closer to dinnertime to have some dishes delivered.
Sheâd just reached for the remote when Catra shuffled in closer to her and looked up at her with those big, sad, blown pupils, her voice going all soft and insecure again. Adora couldnât help sucking in a breath at the question that followed. Shadow Weaver was a topic she had awkwardly talked around whenever baby Catra brought her up. She wished there was a way she could stop her being brought up at all, but it made sense. Shadow Weaver had been their mentor at this age, and in spite of the way sheâd treated them (mostly Catra), she had been the closest thing to a mother figure either of them had.
Things had changed over the years; theyâd realized she was the worst and detached themselves from her. She was dead now, and even if there were times Adora thought about her, they were fewer and farther between these days. It had taken her time to accept what Shadow Weaver had done, all the pain sheâd caused them both, but it was impossible to unsee it now. They generally didnât speak about her at all, but of course Catra, at five, still desperately wanted her love and approval.
There was no skirting around it this time; she didnât want to just ignore what Catra had said and hurt her feelings. She would just try to handle it as delicately as possible.
âI donât know, Catra,â she admitted, threading her fingers gently into that wild mane of hair. âShadow Weaver isâŠreally complicated. I donât really know how she feels.â
Catraâs head tilted towards the touch more. She liked having her hair played with - it felt nice, even if Little Adora sneezed in it once and made it icky. Her ears (which she needed to grow into, they were a little big for her size) flickered lightly, content little twitches. But her hands grew oddly restless and the bowl that was on her lap was moved to allow herself some space.
Space for what, you ask? Oh, nothing crazy. Just kneading - her kitten claws were sharp, tiny knives that flexed as she gave into the instinct. The spot she chose was Adoraâs side. âI think I miss her a little,â she replied quietly, maybe even shamefully. âBut we would get in trouble for eating a lot and taking naps. I donât want that. So Iâm glad sheâs not here. We donât need her. I have you, you have me.â It was what she said earlier in the day too - and the reality of it made her grin, baby fangs exposed. âYou make me happy!â
Even if Adora didnât give Catra that extra ice cream like sheâd asked (complete and utter betrayal), she knew that theyâd be alright here.
âYour âbrotherâ says a lot of dumb stuff though,â she added on (she didnât know what puns were, she never wanted to know what they were but she just knew she hated them). âBut heâs nice. He can live with us.â As if⊠that hadnât already been happening? âI better be fixed soon. I want to be tall! Like you. I bet Iâm more taller and my muscles are bigger.â
She looked so smug too, let her vibe.
Adora smiled softly, all ready to open her mouth and assure Catra that it would be okay if she did miss Shadow Weaver. But before she could utter a word, she switched to a happier note, and that little fanged smile made Adoraâs heart absolutely melt. She was so in awe of baby Catraâs sweet innocence. She loved her Catra just the way she was, but she might miss this when she was back to her adult self. Just a bit.
She didnât mind the kneading at all, though kitten Catra was less conscious of how sharp those claws were than her wife typically was. It didnât hurt, though - just poked some, and she didnât mind. She had been scratched much more deeply by grown-up versions of those claws; obviously, this was much sweeter in nature. She snagged both of those hands in one of hers and pulled Catra into her lap for some proper cuddles.
âYouâll be so big and tall,â she chuckled. She grinned, wrinkling up her nose playfully. âWeâre gonna get you fixed as soon as we can. Iâm glad you like Adam, though. Big you likes him a lot, too. Even if he says some silly stuff sometimes.â
The funniest high-pitched little squeak was let out at being snagged up by one hand - not fair - but she was happy to be on Adoraâs lap, the kneading continuing on one of her arms. This was comfy. Adora always was, even when she was on the tinier side like her.
âThe biggest and tallest,â she concurred, leaning in and purring up a storm. âI trust you. Now can we puh-leaaaaaase put on the fishies??â Catra squished her cheek into her chest, giving her the eyes. âThen Iâll let you get me more food.â
Since it was obviously such a privilege to provide for her, duh.
âIâm honored,â Adora chuckled, letting herself relax and enjoy the rumbling purrs while she wrapped Catra up in her arms. She picked up the remote again, turned on the smart TV and let the movie start playing across Darlaâs windows. By the time this showing was over, sheâd be reciting lines verbatim - but she was okay with that.