WHAT: Baby cold feet (Adora) and comfort (Catra, because she's the best wife in the whole world) WHERE: Con Artist Studios, Vallo City WHEN: Today around lunchtime! WARNINGS: Nah STATUS: Complete
Adora really wasnât all that surprised when she walked into the kitchen after a sparring session with Teela to find Catraâs lunch bag, all packed and ready to go (Adoraâs doing, thank you very much), still sitting on the island. Pregnancy brain had really started to show itself lately; it was a little funny to see someone who usually had such a steel trap of a memory having those moments.
But that was okay. No patrol and no office work today meant Adora could take advantage of this little predicament and go surprise her wife with a visit.
After sheâd showered and re-dressed in more weather-appropriate clothes (the cold was starting to dwindle, and she ran hot, but there was still a bit of chill in the air to protect from), she scooped up the lunch sheâd made for Catra and headed out. One pit stop in the city for coffee later, she pushed open the front door to Con Artist with her shoulder and beamed at the girls manning the front desk.
While art was definitely Catraâs thing, Adora had been here plenty, even when Catra was just a regular student. They were friendly here, despite their name hinting at criminals, and if she had any talent beyond stick figures, she might have taken a class herself. Instead, sheâd spent plenty of time chatting at this desk, and she stood now for a few minutes doing the same before Della pointed her in Catraâs direction, and she set off to find her wife.
Unsurprisingly, she found her surrounded by little people.
It made her smile, it did. Seeing Catra softening around these kids was a beautiful thing. It had always existed â proof being the time sheâd spent in the Horde nursery back home, before everything changed â but seeing the way she lit up these days made Adoraâs heart happy. She knew Catra had had her doubts, but she was going to be the best mom.
She waited in the doorway until her wife turned and caught her eye, and she held up the bagged lunch and coffee in both hands.
âGot time for a break?â
Catra had said before, and sheâd say it again always - children were chaos agents, mayhem incarnates, little monstrous creatures of mischief, gremlins that picked their noses and laughed at their own farts. They could be sneaky and didnât always know how to share, and would have a meltdown if they couldnât get a purple crayon even though there was another purple crayon because they wanted that specific purple crayon. They were fucking exhausting.
But she liked them a lot, too.
The way they looked at the world was fun. All of them had imaginations - wild, crazy ones - and she could see it with everything they made. They were always eager to show her what they were coloring or what they were doing. They swelled with pride and happiness when they were complimented. They loved earning their âgood job!â stamps on their hands at the end of the classes. They gave the best hugs, always had the funniest questions, giggled madly at how she purred for them. Catra thought those were signs that she wasnât totally screwing this gig up even if the anxiety never quite stopped bubbling. A simmer at best, but she could live with that.
The total insanity is honestly why she didnât even realize sheâd forgotten anything at home. Maybe pregnancy brain.
(It was pregnancy brain. Definitely. Shit.)
Thereâd been a kid on her lap when Adora came in. A little orc boy, teal-tinted skin and teeth jutting out from his bottom lip that made her think of Alfie - and itâs probably why she got a little extra soft on him, too, when he was getting teary eyed and frustrated when it came to using these child-proof scissors. So she sat with him, gave him quiet words of instruction and encouragement, helped guide his hands to cut along the line of the picture they were working on, andâ
One glimpse over her shoulder to check the clock above the door, and she was greeted with the wife. Catra signaled the other teacher to take over at that point.
âHiiiii,â she greeted with a grin, undoing the knot on the back of her little art apron as she approached and readied herself to dive in for a kiss. âThat looks weirdly like the lunch you packed for me, like what a coincidââ
âBut Miss Catra!â protested the little boy, visibly upset that sheâd been replaced by the other teacher. âI want you to help me.â
They were misty-eyed and pouting. Catraâs jaw dropped a little awkwardly, and she looked between the kid, and Adora, and back at the kid, and⊠âLet me talk him down for a sec? Iâll meet you in the courtyard.â
Oh. Adora blinked.
She hadnât expected that. Not just the crying little one â who definitely did resemble Alfie, and she couldnât help that her heart squeezed a little looking at him â but that Catra would backtrack to take care of him. It caused this stir of insecurity inside her that she thought sheâd already banished â so much for that.
But her hesitation and surprise only lasted for a moment before she smiled and nodded.
âCourtyard,â she agreed. Maybe that would give her a second to parse out and get a handle on this influx of weird sheâd been smacked with.
Catra gave her an apologetic kiss to the cheek before turning around to attend to the kid, and admittedly - it took a little longer than she had anticipated. He was a little extra needy today, and she knelt down to his level so their eyes could meet, and she tried to talk through it with him. That it was going to be okay, that he was doing great with the scissors, that the other teacher would be right there to help him. He was three. Children werenât often receptive to adult logic anyway, so she tried a few different routes on how to explain things and soothe him.
It was honestly frustrating. But it wasnât his fault, and Catra was determined to remain patient. He was still learning how to understand his feelings - which, letâs face it, it didnât get any easier when you were an adult - so it was hard for him to let go without making a scene. He did it, though!
She just had to promise to give him two stamps today, thatâs all.
âItâs like I negotiated with a terrorist,â claimed Catra as she arrived at the courtyard, hair spilling out from her bun, looking a little tired but happy. Adora was here, and having forgotten her lunch at home had become a blessing in disguise. âHi again, thank you.â
This time she could give her a full-blown hello kiss on the lips, hands (free from paint, she had washed them before coming out) cradling her face.
Adora truly didnât mind waiting. She knew the way to the courtyard without asking at this point and made her way out there to steal the unoccupied picnic table and wait, however long it took. She knew sheâd interrupted Catraâs work day out of nowhere, and she shouldnât have expected her to be able to drop everything without warning.
That was why she was feeling all out of sorts at what had just happened, obviously.
Obviously.
Her attention snapped right back to Catra the second she came walking over, and she smiled as she was kissed, reaching up to cover her hand and kiss her back. She felt herself start to relax as they broke apart, thumb coasting quickly along a smattering of freckles before she fully released her.
âWell, itâs good practice,â she chuckled. âWe both know Finnâs going to be a terror someday.â She passed over Catraâs lunch and pried each of their coffees out of the carrier. âYour one eight ounce coffee serving for the day. Thought you might be wanting it by now.â
Catraâs ears perked up, and she settled next to Adoraâs side with her tail already coasting up her arm. âFuck, I do,â she breathed out, happy to also have the freedom to curse up a storm at her own leisure. Canât do that around the littles, you know. âYouâre a lifesaver, I think I would have cried once I realized I forgot food.â
Her appetite was definitely something ravenous lately, and if she went hungry for too long then the nausea would kick in and then everything would be awful.
A sip of coffee first, though. Catra let out such a content little mrrrrrrrrp. âHowâd your morning go? Teela kick your ass or did you kick hers?â
Adora scratched playfully under Catraâs chin for a moment as she settled in, then left her to drink her coffee while she scooped up her own sugary monstrosity. She couldnât do black coffee to this day, too bitter, but the muted caffeine was tasty enough for her.
âI think the ass-kicking was about even today,â she chuckled. âPop Tart got all concerned that we were mad at each other when he came in, so it broke up after a couple of rounds. How about you? Howâve the kids been today?â
Catra missed sparring. That had also been their thing. They had gotten so much use out of their at-home gym, all prettied up and equipped to the brim after investing a lot of money into it (usually from the bounty jobs theyâve taken on the side) - and it didnât hurt that their sessions would end up a little, uh, extra heated on the mat. Fighting made her horny. Thinking of Adora fighting also made her horny.
She tried not to sigh at the direction of her stomach. Thanks, Finn.
âNeedy,â she answered, opening up her lunch bag to put the contents on the table. There was a bag of baby carrots she picked at first. Not her favorite but healthy eating and all of that, a necessary evil. âThat little dudeâZhoryâhad some issues with scissors? He got really frustrated, itâs the fourth tantrum of his Iâve handled in the pastâŠâ Catra closed an eye as she thought about it. âHour, actually. I donât know, I guess being three is hard sometimes? Heâs taken up most of my attention today. Like, maybe even all of it.â
âProbably being any age is hard sometimes.â Adora was twenty years older than Zhory, and she couldnât claim existing and just handling life wasnât hard sometimes. It was part of why she was going so hard on therapy and tended to lean on edibles (though a much lesser amount these days, she was kind of proud of that).
âYou did great with him, though,â she complimented, meaning it sincerely. âYouâre really gonna be the best mom.â
âBest is a stretch,â Catra snorted around a crunchy bite of stupid rabbit vegetable. Actual lunch was some leftover pasta with spinach and chicken, and she opened the container holding that to start digging in. âItâs nice to have some kind of practice on what to expect down the road, I guess. And not like youâll be doing a shit job at it eitherâyouâre the one that likes to take care of things.â
Not that she wouldnât like taking care of her kid, but stuff like that came to Adora more naturally.
âSpeaking of stretches,â Adora chucked. She wouldnât necessarily say she liked taking care of things. It had just always been something that fell on her, and at this point, it was part habit and part compulsion. It would be different with Finn, of course â they werenât a thing, they were a person, their baby â and then, maybe it would fall more on the side of like.
âCan I⊠admit something to you?â Stupid question, and she was sure Catra would scoff and tell her so, but her expression was sheepish. She didnât like having these feelings, no matter how momentary, but it wouldnât be fair not to tell Catra now that theyâd bubbled up again.
Catra slowed her chewing and blinked. Definitely a stupid question, and usually she had an idea of what was up with Adoraâs pretty brain but this wasâwhat was this about? Did she miss anything? Maybe she missed something with how scatterbrained she had been lately.
âYeah, duh,â she told her easily, taking a stab at some bowtie pasta again. âShoot, princess.â
Adora sighed. âI was a little jealous back there,â she said, looking at her coffee instead of looking at Catra. âWhen you took care of Zhory instead of coming with me right away? Itâs dumb, I know, but⊠I donât know. Iâm used to having your full attention whenever I want it. And it made me think, likeâthat wonât be the case anymore when Finnâs here either.â
She turned back to look at Catra, a little pink and embarrassed. It was something sheâd talked about with Marlena more than anything, this tiny bit of regret that maybe theyâd jumped into parenting sooner than they should have. It was silly, something she wasnât proud of, but it was there.
Hmmm, alright. Catra did⊠not expect it to be about that, honestly, but she listened; didnât pause much with her chewing and she went for another stab of food, this time the prongs were aimed at some saucy chicken.
âOkay,â she answered first, accepting that. Then, after dropping her fork to bring the cup of coffee towards her, she went on. âI meanâlucky you that youâre married to someone who absolutely hates not having your attention all the time.â There was a quirk to her mouth there, this knowing but teasing little smile that wasnât unkind. âI donât think I ever told you this, but thatâs one of the first things I thought about when you told me you wanted kids. That I have to share you with another person.â
It was written all over their history, starting with that one Lonnie incidentâand then when Adora dared to care about other things and people that werenât her to the point of leaving (granted, that was full of contextual complications and simplifying it to just jealousy wasnât fair, but jealousy was involved). âI love it being just us,â she admitted after a moment, fiddling with the top of her cup. âI feel likeâlike itâs normal to mourn that itâs going to change, if that makes sense? It doesnât mean weâre going to love Finn or each other any less.â
Catra was confident about that.
âDefinitely not going to love anyone any less,â Adora agreed firmly. That wasnât even in question. She knew without a doubt she would love both Catra and Finn just as much as she did now, maybe even more. They would just have to prioritize Finn a little more than each other, and while that was tough, it was going to be a part of being a parent. There was no getting around it.
But she couldnât help feeling a little relieved that Catra seemed to understand where she was coming from. It really shouldnât surprise her that these kinds of thoughts had occurred to her way sooner. She knew Catra was always the more jealous of the two of them, especially when it came to the two of them.
âI know Iâll get over it,â she continued. âYou and Finn are gonna be tied for my top priority, but I think⊠I really want it to be just us as much as possible right now.â
The conversation was making her insides feel like some gooey chocolate chip cookieâand maybe that was her body telling her that she wanted a gooey chocolate chip cookie, but she wasnât interpreting this insecurity as a bad thing. Catra was tempted to be a little shit and say she was even flattered. There was always a little satisfaction in knowing Adora got jealous sometimes, that it wasnât just always her that got a little pouty and bratty.
âIâll drop the pole and yoga classes,â she announced breezily, having made the decision literally just now. Hell, might as well toss art lessons in that too. âBefore you even try to protest, listenâI can do that stuff at home if I want to and have you or Teela spot me. Staying busy with hobbies is starting to take a toll, anyway.â There was this whole pelvic floor pain thing that was starting to pop up lately from being on her feet too often, and it was tempting her to ask Adora to do her glowy-hands-healing trick to see if it would relieve it the next time it hit.
Cup back onto the table, Catra leaned into her and let her head fall onto her shoulder. âIâd rather spend that energy with you,â she purred quietly, rubbing her cheek against her. âAs much as possible.â
Adora nearly protested, anyway. She didnât like the idea of Catra giving things up for her; that wasnât what she meant or what she wanted. She liked that Catra had taken up hobbies that she was good at and really enjoyed. She never wanted to interfere with that, especially for her being a little extra needy.
The purring was her downfall. It always was. When her wife leaned into her and started purring up a mini-thunderstorm, any resistance melted out of her. She curled her arm around Catraâs shoulders and dropped her forehead gently on top of her head.
âOkay,â she agreed. âIâd really like that, too. Maybe itâll help me stop feeling jealous over little kids.â She was still kind of embarrassed sheâd even admitted to such a thing and felt the strange need to apologize to Zhory for it. She hadnât expressed anything in the classroom that would make him think anything bad of her but still.
âYouâre okay, dummy,â Catra chuckled into her shoulder, lashes fluttering as her eyes fell shut for a moment. âDropping classes doesnât have to be permanent. I can pick them up down the road if I want toâor keep things up at home. Iâm with you. More us time takes priority.â
They were a unit of two on the precipice of becoming a unit of three. In a few months, their mundane but comfortable routine was going to experience a serious shake up. Might as well soak up what they could, and Catra had zero complaints about it.
When her eyes opened, she pressed a quick peck of a kiss to her wifeâs neck. âGood thing Iâm really fond of your face,â she smirked. âI remember Finn talking about how gross we are in the future, too. Iâm taking that as a sign that Iâll be all over you forever.â
âI want you all over me forever,â Adora said. âIâve gotten really accustomed to you clinging to me at all times, and Iâd be sad if it ever stopped happening for good.â
She knew there were inevitably going to be changes as their family expanded, but there was some reassurance knowing that their relationship didnât change entirely. At least not in a negative way. She couldnât imagine a life where she didnât love Catra, and she didnât want to, not for a second. This was all sheâd always wanted.
âThanks for understanding,â she murmured, kissing her wifeâs temple again and giving her a soft squeeze. âAnd justâŠone more thing.â She sucked her bottom lip for a moment as she thought, her heart rate starting to pick up with another spike of nerves. âYou didnât feel pushed, right? To doâŠthis? To have Finn?â
Catra didnât mind dishing out reassurances. God knows how often Adoraâs had to reassure her during this whole process. Her head stayed in place on her shoulder, and she stroked the tips of her claws up and down her arm. A bit ticklish, but mostly meant to sootheâand still purring, the ultimate calming agent. âI want Finn,â she stated firmly, quietly. âI want all of them.â
There was no question or debate about that.
âItâs not that IâŠâ Catra hummed, scrunching her nose in thought about it. âI mean, I never thought about having kids. Not until you. And itâs not that I didnât want them, I realized? Itâs more likeâI didnât think I could, or should. Itâs easier to tell yourself you donât want something when you donât think you deserve it. Thereâs a part of me that wishes we were a little older, butâŠâ She shrugged. âYou know how it is, it feels like weâre already forty anyway.â
Her claws traced down her wrist, into her palms, and it was the perfect segue into holding hands. âYou didnât push me. No one can push me to do anything I donât want to. Iâm a huge brat like that, remember?â
Adora immediately squeezed the hand that found its way into hers, lacing their fingers together and letting out a relieved breath. All her insecurities had decided now was the time to bubble up, apparently, but she trusted Catraâs thought process as it was explained to her. It made a lot of sense â kids hadnât been on the horizon for either of them when they were kids themselves, expecting to die in a war.
And the war hadnât really done their mental states much good, so â yeah. She got it. The âfeels like weâre forty alreadyâ and all.
âThe next ones, weâll plan,â she offered. âFor, like, a maybe more childbirth-appropriate age. As much as I want to keep you to myself, though, I kinda feel like this happened how it was supposed to happen. They did.â Her free hand went to Catraâs belly to rub small circles across the curve.
âYeah,â Catra hummed contently. âIâm good with how it happened.â
Insecurities would keep creeping on themâthe both of themâand she was trying to make peace with that being a normal thing, too. It meant they cared. If they went through this journey together scot-free of concerns then they definitely werenât looking at the situation with a realistic lens.
The next ones could come much later, yeahâbut Finn? They were definitely meant to come into their lives early to terrorize them. In, like, a loving way.
âAnd, for the record,â she tacked on, giving her cheek a lingering kiss and letting her lips stay there as she murmured the next thing with a wicked grin, âIâm into you being the needy one. Donât think Iâm upset by it. You, wanting my attention all the time? Keep going.â
Well, Adoraâs face immediately went hot and red. She knew Catra meant it sincerely, and she was glad she didnât mind the neediness, but it still sat with her a little oddly. She was used to the roles being reversed â not that she didnât need Catra but she was the one who clung slightly less.
It wasnât a bad thing, though.
âI might kick Adam and Teela out so I get as much of your free time as possible,â she said. But that was a joke. Or was it? They had a whole freaking castle not too far from Darla; maybe a little space would do all of them some good.
Itâs like she felt the temperature change beneath her lips, and Catra did her best to contain a peal of laughter - at best there was an abrupt, raspy chuckle as she pulled away. Lunch needed to be attended to still, but she swiped up a baby carrot to offer it up to her.
âI think Teelaâs starting to side-eye the couch a little,â she commented, the grin going strong. It was an utter miracle they hadnât been caught yet; she and Adora could be ballsy about when and where they went at it sometimes. Having a full-house hadnât stopped them and Catra wasnât ashamed about that. âBut itâs only a matter of time before the two of them walk in on something thatâs going to traumatize them. Our streak can only go for so long, you know.â
âThen theyâre out,â Adora declared, plucking that baby carrot out of Catraâs fingers and popping it into her mouth. âI plan to have a long, uninterrupted streak, and I would hate to traumatize my brother.â
She was smirking, teasing, but she kind of meant it, too? If nothing else, it would forever traumatize her if Adam (or Teela) caught them. She could be bold when she wanted to be, but she knew that would put an end to their streak pretty quickly and soundly.
Catra fucking trilled with delight. âI canât believe you want to kick your brother out just so you can do me whenever you want.â There was a playful gasp there too, because the scandal. She could see Adam and Teela going back and forth between the ship and castle - they probably wanted some quality time of their own at some point, she guessed, without these two wives making eyes at each other constantly.
They were obnoxious.
âPencil me in for some us time when I get off work, then,â she said, nabbing another carrot - but this one was thrown at her. âIâll make sure to give you all my attention, princess.â