WHAT: Celebrating Adora's "Horde Birthday" (not with cake in her face this once, phew) WHERE: Fancy resort in Vallo City WHEN: This morning WARNINGS: Some sad but otherwise none STATUS: Complete
Adora (and Adamâs) birthday had already been celebratedâwith family, except the parental units were gone and that left a gaping absence in their livesâbut this January 19th birthday was equally important. Did it mark the day of her wifeâs official kidnapping from her homeworld as an infant? Yes, technically, except they hadnât known that throughout the years (Horde birthdays were hardly accurate, they knew it was technically a âwhat day were you taken inâ kind of thing) and they had agreed to continue celebrating it anyway. Just the two of them.
So Catra planned it when Adora had given her the greenlight of yes, we can celebrate both days and orchestrated it; made reservations at some ridiculously swanky city hotel that shot up high in the sky, the kind of place that had several restaurants and spa treatments, its own movie theatre, indoor waterpark, everything. Options were available to them, which was ideal. Adora might want to do all of it, some of it, or none at all. It didnât make a difference to Catra.
Theyâd lost Glimmer, Scorpia, and then Marlena and Randor, and while they werenât new to the whiplash of loss Vallo had dished out, it stung. She liked to think they handled it with a little more acceptance this time around but it still wasnât easy. She tried to push through it. She tried to be there for the people that were hurting the most. She just⊠tried doing her best, swallowing down her own ache.
Last night they checked in and ordered room service, watched a movie before bed; it was nice, and somewhat mind-numbing. Today, Catra had stealthily untangled herself from Adoraâs arms and tip-toed to their door with purposeâthere had been a cake delivered at a very specific time, and she had instructed the staff to not knock and avoid the risk of waking Adora up.
Since, wellâit was tradition to wake her up by pushing cake into her face and, goddamnit, it was happening. Catra was ready.
It didnât go as planned. Turns out that when you put cake in front of a woman that was halfway through a pregnancy, she would think twice about destroying it so carelessly. Especially when she could smell it, and the frosting looked so good. âJust a bite,â she mumbled to herself, and she didnât bother for utensils since this cakeâs sole purpose was to be destroyed (and to be sloppily eaten by fingers, if they could salvage any) so what was the point, right?
Scooting back next to a sleeping Adora, Catra laid back and put the cardboard plate on her growing stomach (hey, it was a table!) and took exactly that: a bite.
Fifteen minutes later, a bite had grown into almost half of the entire cake, and when Adoraâs eyes fluttered open, Catra realized she had fucked up. âGood morning,â she saidâor somewhat said, it was muffled around a bite of cake, and her mouth and hands were a mess. Her ears were also pinned back in shame. âI love you, do you want some??â A pause. âThis was supposed to all go into your face.â
Adora had been looking forward to this little getaway for a while now. Sheâd decided pretty quickly after her parents arrived in Vallo that it made the most sense to celebrate her actual birthday (the twin one she shared with Adam) while they were here and shift her January 19th birthday to something that was just hers and Catraâs. For the longest time, it had been just hers and Catraâs, in the Horde, so it made sense to just switch back.
She hadnât expected that, two days before, Marlena and Randor would disappear.
And before them, even, Glimmer was gone. Then, Scorpia.
They hit both of them hard. She and Catra had adjusted to losing people at this point; a lot of people theyâd cared about had disappeared in the two years theyâd been here. You learned it was just a part of life as an Outlander. No one was here permanently. Everything could change in the blink of an eye. Even visits from the future werenât guarantees, not in Vallo.
She tried to comfort herself with positive thoughts. Glimmer was happy at home. She had Bow. Her visit from Shimmer had been proof that their life together was back on Etheria, so maybe she was just meant to be there. Maybe Vallo had just been a nice, long vacation for her. Scorpia was a little tougher; she was happy, too, presumably with Perfuma. But Perfuma was also here, and her sadness had permeated Valloâs plant life.
She wanted to think the same about her mom and dad as she did with Glimmer. Vallo had been a vacation for them. They were the King and Queen of Eternia, meant to be there. They had just survived a war, and they had a lot of repairs to take care of. It was the same way sheâd thought when Teela disappeared the first time; they had so much going on at home, of course they should go back.
Only her parents didnât know she was alive there. They didnât know where to find her. They had no idea that their daughter knew them and loved them and missed them, so terribly that she had struggled not to fall into that rut of shutting down. She had spent most of the day theyâd disappeared crying (attempts to hold back had been discouraged by Catra), and sheâd gotten through it. She did her best to accept it. It was okay, it had to be okay. She needed to stay present and focus on what was happening for them.
Right now, it was a lot. Catra was halfway through her pregnancy, and that was exciting. The plans sheâd made for her birthday were really sweet, and the hotel was amazing. She was definitely going to take advantage of the waterpark, at least a little bit, even though Catra likely wouldnât. She was hoping it would all prove to be a good distraction, and so far, that was true. The sadness still clung to her, but it was easier to brush aside when she had this whole long weekend ahead of her, just her and her wife.
The sun was streaming in through the sheer curtains when she woke up, but it wasnât the sun that woke her. It was the sound of munching, right beside her, and she turned to find the sound with squinted eyes. She blinked a couple of times, then chuckled and pushed herself up to sit beside her wife. She leaned in and kissed her cheek.
âI really prefer this over cake in my face.â She had never really grown fond of that âtraditionâ even if Finn had confirmed that was what it had become. She greatly preferred to wake up and find Catra devouring the cake instead of having it smushed into her face and hair. âYou go ahead and keep eating. I can get a cupcake or something later.â
âPlease help me,â Catra whined, tipping her head back against the headboard. This wasnât part of the plan. She was going to be obnoxious this morning, okay, she wasnât supposed to prematurely dig in. Her womb occupant decided otherwise. âIâve got frosting under my claws. Iâm getting full. Iâm a monster. But this is a really good cake and youâre supposed to have some.â
Grabbing a chunk of cake with her fingers, she held it up against Adoraâs lips with some insistence. Did she outright shove it into her mouth? No, and her wife should be feeling fortunate about thatâthough she also wasnât giving her a choice about the matter, either.
Adora rolled her eyes fondly but obeyed, leaning in to take the bite right out of Catraâs hands. It was the same type sheâd gotten her the past two years for her birthday, always a tasty win. She reached for the remaining half of the cake resting on her wifeâs belly â adorable â and pulled it over onto her lap.
âThere.â She smiled at her wife, tired but triumphant in doing what she was asked. âCakeâs mine now. Do I get a fork or am I supposed to eat barehanded, too?â
Catra let out a breath of relief. Goodâtake that cake from her, sheâs had enough, even if there was a part of her that wanted a little more?? Gods, she wasnât used to wanting food this much but whatever. âLemme get you a fork,â she offered, planting a kiss to her mouth (and smearing a little cake on her cheeks with her fingers, tâwas tradition) before rising up from the bed.
First thing was to clean herself upâhands and mouth from all the damn cake residueâand then swipe a utensil from the suite kitchen. But she also brought a little something with her, too.
âOkay, so.â After arming her with a fork to help annihilate what was left over, she crawled back into bed but this time sat in front of her instead of next to her. In Catraâs lap was a wrapped present, a shiny little bow on it and everything. âI know after your real birthday with Adam and then Santa Day you said no more presents, but I made this last minute.â
As in, the first night of her parents disappearance, after Adora had finally fallen asleep. Catra had snuck into her little art room, and then Teela had noticed she was up at an ungodly hourâand when she was filled in with what her intentions were, the sorceress joined in the efforts. One for Adora, and one for Adam.
âAnd I know I give you one every year now,â she continued, sucking in her bottom lip to bite it with a little apprehension. âThis oneâs just special. For you.â
Adora smiled gratefully when she was presented with the fork, straightening herself up and shifting to sit cross-legged. She placed the cake platter on her lap again and sliced a bit off the top â mostly frosting with some cake as a bonus. This part of the tradition, she enjoyed. She knew they were empty calories, but they were tasty, and it was her birthday. Cake was necessary.
But Catra was right â she had turned down any further presents. She had seen plenty of them on her birthday with Adam, then Christmas had been two days later. Being with her wife, having their own little getaway, that was present enough.
She knew that look, though, and even if sheâd truly wanted to, there was no way she could turn away something her wife gave her. She set the cake in the space Catra had vacated and leaned over to kiss her softly. âI love you,â she murmured, her smile reassuring. âAnd you know I love anything you give me.â She reached for the present, brows raised. âMay I?â
âThatâs because youâre horribly biased,â Catra smirked, but it was so soft despite the smug little quirk of her mouth. âGo ahead, dummy.â
It wasnât anything expensive. Last year she had given Adora a little replica of her mask made from some of the metal of their old bunk bedsâthat way it could hang from a chain the way the golden wing often did for her. This time, it was a photo album. It wasnât big like the ones she received for Christmas twice already; those chronicled each year, with photos and doodles and commentary, even fucking stickers. They were thick.
This one was more on the thin side, but it was important. A lot of pictures had been taken while Marlena and Randor were here. Some were done professionally. Most were candids, which were honestly her favoriteâthere were no perfect angles or posing, just a raw and genuine moment caught on camera. Pictures that were of them in mid-laughter, the soft looks that people thought would go unnoticed between parents, between siblings, between parents and siblings.
It had been such a short time, and a lot had happened in that short time.
âI remember when we picked up our files at the Fright Zone, and found the closest thing we had to childhood picsâand we were cute, yeah, but the whole thing was just sad and fucked now that we know thatâs definitely not how life should have worked out,â Catra said, scratching her head. Her hair hadnât been brushed yet and looked wild, but also unfairly stylish in a way. âSo this is justâa family album for you, with all of them, and all we did, even the embarrassing buttflap pajamas. I made one for Adam, too, since itâs the first time either of you had your complete family.â
Adora had suspected what might be in the box judging by what Catra had said â I know I give you one every year. For the past two years, Catra had put together massive scrapbooks of their time in Vallo, and Adora loved them with her whole heart. On days she woke up too early or nights that the dreams were too intense and woke her, she would spend time flipping through them.
She had gotten that scrapbook back on Christmas Day, though. She didnât know what to expect from another one â a special one â until she opened the box and plucked the much slimmer volume free. She brushed her hand over the cover and bit down on her bottom lip, still listening to Catra explain as she started slowly turning the pages.
Her chest tightened with every picture. Not in a bad way, exactly. It was both wonderful and heartbreaking to see these pictures carefully pasted and framed in the book. She had really started to hope it would be permanent. She had really believed that maybe Marlena and Randor would stay. Vallo had taken Glimmer away, but in return, maybe theyâd leave her parents. But no, they were taken away, too.
Why did this keep happening to her?
âThank you,â she breathed at last. Her eyes were watery when she lifted them to meet Catraâs, and she had to put on a smile.. âIâm sorry, I love this. I love you for putting it together. I donât mean to cry, I just⊠I miss them. I wanted them to stay here with us. I thought maybe they actually would.â
âDid you really think I didnât expect you to get choked up looking at this?â Catra fondly sighed, reaching out to rub her hands over her calves through the blanket. âI know you miss them. Itâs okay to miss them. I know itâs a different kind of miss than everyone elseâyouâre allowed to be bummed the fuck out.â
That was why she had no expectations for their long weekend. They could stay in this room and irresponsibly rack up an outrageous room service bill, or they could go out and do things, whatever she wanted. If that meant she had to endure an indoor waterpark, bring it the fuck on. Catra had packed a swimsuit in case.
âI kinda have a weird hope that theyâll come back again? Like Teela did,â she explained. âBut if they donât, you have those moments to look back to. Finn will get to see them in photos, and theyâll know exactly who made that blanket.â
Oh, it was hideous. It kind of gave it character, though. Marlena did her best.
âHappy Horde Birthday, Princess Adora.â
Adora hoped that was true. Maybe her parents werenât meant to be here full-time, or maybe there was some sort of glitch that sent them back for now, only to have them return later. Teela had been gone almost a full year before she came back. But there were never any definites, that was the problem. Teela could disappear again tomorrow. Adam, Leon, Perfuma, Wanda, Kara â any of the people they cared about could vanish at any time. Richie had. Dan had.
She snorted through the tears and forced out a slow breath, trying to gather herself. Today was a happy day; she didnât want to infect it with sadness. She would have plenty of time to be sad later, to dwell in the misery of losing her parents and the uncertainty of their lives here all over again. But this was her day with Catra. Her Horde Birthday â who better to celebrate with?
âThank you,â she murmured. âCome sit with me.â She tugged gently, wanting her closer. Her lap was open and available; the cake, even the book, they could wait. âAnd thank you even more for not smashing that cake in my face. Seriously, I mean that more than anything else.â
Catra let out that signature squeak of a laugh, all pitchy and raspy. âOh come on,â she grinned, settling into her lap oh so comfortably. âItâs literally my favorite way to eat cake, you know. Missed my shot. Youâre lucky I got hungry before I went through with it but this is the only year you get to be spared of it, I swear.â
Finn had also said it was tradition. Adora couldnât escape it.
She kissed her too, all soft and sweet like the cake frosting. âReminds me so much of your first birthday here,â Catra murmured, eyes squinting impishly from the memory. âWe were in that stage where all we did was suck face without talking about our relationship statusâgods, we were idiots. I thought you were just making out with me in a friend way.â
A very dramatic sigh escaped Adora with that declaration and her arms wrapped around Catraâs waist. She hadnât expected to win that battle, but she had to try to keep her face cake-free. The future was in flux, after all. The tradition could be stopped before it started! But she knew she couldnât really do that. Sheâd just lucked out this year.
âIâm still making out with you in a friend way, didnât you know?â Adora grinned, leaning in to steal another kiss. âI mean, best friends but just friends.â Her hand drifted down to spread across the baby bump. âAnd getting you pregnant in a friend way, obviously.â
âHeyyyyyy,â Catra frowned, nose and lips all scrunched up into a pout. âDonât hurt my feelings. This is gonna be the reason why I wake you up at two in the morning asking if you married me in a friend way orââ
Her eyes blinked wide, and she let out a small, breathy gasp.
âWait, wait, shhhhhhh.â For whatever reason, she found it necessary to cover Adoraâs mouth with her hands so they could be quiet. And still. Catra stared down at her stomach, and waited.
Adora was about to interject and insist that she was kidding, that she had obviously married Catra in a romantic way, but she didnât get a chance before both her wifeâs hands were over her mouth. Even then, she didnât protest, instead following Catraâs gaze down to her stomach. She blinked up at her, eyebrows raised curiously.
âHmm?â That was the best she could manage to see what exactly Catra was gasping about before her brain circuits reconnected. She lifted her hand from Catraâs stomach and pulled one hand down by the wrist. âWhat is it? You feel something??â
Catra waited, and waited, and waitedâ
âHere,â she blinked, placing a hand right below her bellybutton. Research had told her movement would feel like gas, or flutters andâshe wasnât sure if she agreed? Then it happened again, and she couldnât feel it against her palm (there was disappointment, but she knew they had a few more weeks until anything could be felt from the outside) but she still felt them. That was awestrucking. âRight here.â
Wow. No, seriously. Wow.
âItâs soâŠâ Her brows pinched together, and she let out a quiet laugh of disbelief. âIt feels so weird. Tiny, but⊠strong. I think the cake gave them a little sugar rush?? They keep moving!â
Adoraâs eyes lit up and her palm returned to press flat against Catraâs stomach, trying her best to feel what she was feeling. She knew it was early, and neither of them were likely to feel anything from the outside, but she still pouted a bit when she realized they couldnât. But it quickly faded back into a smile, just at the excitement Catra clearly felt.
âYou know what that means?â She reached out for the cake, picking up the fork to dig out another piece. She held it up with expectant eyebrows. âCâmon, one more bite. Finn deserves birthday celebrations, too.â
âYou canât just,â Catra stopped to laugh and she did take that bite, thank you, before chewing and swallowing and holding her hands up to her mouth to keep crumbs from falling, âyou canât just feed me sugar all weekend to get them moving, Adora.â
This had her feeling giddy. Like, logically, she was aware of her condition and the way her body changed as time went on, the fact was indisputable. To feel them, though? Actually feel this bubbly-sensation push at her from the inside? There was nothing like it. Weird was definitely a way to describe it.
Amazing was one, too.
âYouâll feel them soon,â she told her, moving Adoraâs hand to the spot where it all was happening. âTheyâre only getting bigger. Me too, I guess, but thatâs nothing to be excited about.â
âAll of itâs something to be excited about,â Adora insisted, stroking that spot slowly. That overeager side of her was naively hopeful that enough attention would make it possible for her to feel, but she knew it was going to be an exercise in patience. She could handle that. She already had Catraâs promise that sheâd let her know the second she felt something from the outside.
That didnât mean she wouldnât be amped up and reaching out at every opportunity in the hopes it would happen just a little earlier. It probably wouldnât, but she was excited, too. Before long, she would get to wrap Finn up in her momâs handmade blanket. She couldnât wait for that moment to come.
âThank you for this.â She looked up and nuzzled their noses together. âAll of it. I promise not to be all depressing. I just want to have fun with you, promise.â
Catra cradled her face between her hands, and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. âNo promises necessary,â she mumbled into her skin. âWe can do whatever you want, at whatever pace you wantâthis getaway is for you. Iâm game for anything you feel like and, yeah, that includes the water park.â
And she wouldnât even complain the whole time either, imagine that.
âI saw thereâs a lazy river,â Adora mentioned. There had been pamphlets at the front desk talking about the water park, and sheâd taken it, of course. She hadnât known where they were going, but as soon as they were there, she wanted to make sure she was informed. âWe can grab a tube for you and you can float as long as you want, no shark interference this time.â
âYou get me,â Catra fucking chortled. Water obviously wasnât her favorite but she was capable of tolerating it, and lounging around in a tube that involved minimal wetness (presumably) was a good water-related activity for her. âGet me a mocktail and Iâll be pretty set, I think.â
What was that dumb saying? âSunâs out, bumpâs outâ? Not that there was any sunlight indoors and it was, you know, January but the sentiment remained.
âButâif you flex for me a little bit I might be persuaded to join you in the deep end,â she grinned, patting at her cheek gently. âJust hold me for most of it.â
âIâll definitely be flexing for you.â Adora smirked, leaning into Catraâs hand against her cheek. She might take her into the regular pool a bit, but she recognized her wifeâs limitations and loved her for them. Water wasnât her favorite thing and never had been; Adora had been especially careful pushing her lately, too, with the whole Catra Prime drowning still fairly fresh in her mind.
She situated herself back onto the headboard, keeping Catra in her lap as she reached for the cake again, pulling it up as close as she could. âDo you want to share the rest of this or just watch me eat it?â
âPretty sure I already devoured my share of the cake, princess,â she winced, sheepish. Did she want to stuff her face more with it? Oh fuck, absolutely. Should she be watching what she ate for the sake of a healthy pregnancy?
Also that. Catra probably needed to eat, like, a vegetable today or something. âI should take my dumb vitamins instead.â Cue this long, forlorn sigh, the exhale blowing bangs away from her eyes. âAnd probably get dressed, I guess. But youââ
Catra tenderly pulled her face back in for a kiss. âEnjoy your breakfast dessert.â