WHAT: Adora comes home beat up and Catra fixes her up WHERE: Darla WHEN: This afternoon WARNINGS: Pregnancy, injury, mentions of tentacle monsters STATUS: Complete ART CREDIT:Here!
The majority of the Defense shifts sheâd worked in the two years sheâd been in Vallo were peaceful and uneventful. There were usually some creatures to dispatch, some locals who needed help, occasionally a monster hunt contract that she and Catra worked while on-shift - because why not make some extra cash when they could, really? Compared to the bouts of mass chaos Vallo could toss at them without any indication, those days were downright peaceful.
There were always exceptions to that rule, though, and today had been one of them. Sheâd been on her own today, chatting away to Catra through the earpiece her wife required her to wear (freshly cleaned due to her Post-It reminder on the fridge) now that she was off the roster for the time being. Sheâd already been home for some much-needed lunch (and some even more needed afternoon delight) and had expected the remaining four hours to pass just as uneventfully. Sheâd let her guard down, and that was when she was surrounded by not one but two much too massive, out-of-a-horror movie tentacle monsters.
She hadnât screamed. She didnât scare so much as startle easily, and holy hell, those beasts had startled her. Without an extra hand, she had to dispatch them on her own - there was a lot of grunting and yelling and general exertion noises. And given she was outnumbered and out-sized (even She-Ra had barely gotten her through this fight), there had been some rather pained sounding cries, and she hadnât exactly escaped unscathed.
It wasnât anything major. No concussions, no bleeding out on the ground, not like the time she literally fractured her skull. She was beat up without a doubt - bruises, scrapes, scratches, a few minor gashes around her arms and abdomen - but ultimately, she was fine. With her wifeâs encouragement (or rather, frantic insistence in her ear), she called off the rest of her shift and got herself back to Darla, foregoing the clinic in favor of home.
There wasnât even a hint of surprise in her expression when she found Catra standing on the ramp. All she could do was smile sheepishly.
âIâm not healing,â she told her, taking slow steps up the slope toward Catra. She didnât think anything was broken, but it did feel like sheâd strained a muscle somewhere in her left leg. âI think She-Ra used up too much energy.â
She knew eventually her alter ego would come back to her, but right now, she felt a distinct lack of power that was usually a constant thrum through her veins. She was just exhausted and probably needed to clean herself up until her magic kicked back in. Hopefully, it would be a matter of hours, not days, this time.
This was the worst time for Melog to choose to stay with her. The worst.
Theyâve argued about it, of course - a funny sight when the only person who could understand Melog was Catra. But time had passed, her stomach had grown, and their due date was less than fifty days away. Catra would insist she wasnât helpless by any means (she was resourceful, crafty, could defend herself), though it was reaching a point where neither her wife or companion felt too comfortable leaving her alone every time.
So Melog split responsibilities. Sometimes they went with Adora. Other times they stayed behind, guarding Catra protectively should something happen. The risk of a threat reaching here in Darla was low, but the chances of Adora facing dangers out there was higher. Today proved that.
Everything started normally enough. That earpiece had been put to use these past couple months, allowing Catra to be there without truly being there. It kept them looped with what was happening. Adora would know she was safe - and so would Catra, able to listen to everything from the other side. She was used to the sounds of her wife in the thrall of battle, the grunts and cries and the occasional dorky remarks. She had heard her take a hit, but in those moments she was endlessly thankful for the magic that would heal her wounds shortly after.
Today was different. This was different. Time crawled. The encounter went on for too long - there had been too much, and she felt her heart lodge itself in her throat. Anxious. Worried. Terrified. Adora insisted she was fine but Catra called horseshit; insisted that she come home - now - before she mounted Melog to find her.
Thatâs why she was outside, waiting. Darlaâs ramp was down, the entrance hatch open, and Catra stood at the mouth. Her hair (longer, thicker, shinier thanks to the pregnancy) was tied up in a loose braid, and she had found maternity leggings that were comfortable and the shirt she was wearing had a plunging neckline that was shameless (the swell of her engorged tits was fantastic). She didnât really understand the concept of âmaternal glowâ except she definitely had it, and it was a look.
But right now, it was heavily shadowed by worry.
âDumbass,â Catra growled, not hesitating to meet her halfway down the ramp. She had to consciously fight the instinct to wrap around her for a hug (last thing she wanted to do was make her hurt), and instead cradled her face and glared. It was a wet glare. There were tears shining in her eyes - all out of love. âBrain damage check, tell me what you had for breakfast, now.â
Adora instantly felt horrible when she saw that Catra had clearly been crying - and there were still tears in her eyes. She hated to make her wife worry, ever, but she truly hadnât expected this. Odds were against big ordeals happening, and she had just lucked into a bad day, but she knew it felt like more than that right now. Because Catra wasnât there anymore. She didnât get a chance to step in and help.
âIâm fine,â Adora sighed, the sound tired and worn. Sheâd answer, though, to make Catra feel better. She always did this when Adora got thrown around. She was historically susceptible to concussions - usually mild, but thereâd been bad ones on occasion. âI had coffee and three glazed donuts for breakfast. See? Brainâs okay. Promise.â
She was exhausted and hurting, but sheâd suffered worse and bounced back. Once she sat down and got herself patched up, sheâd have time to recharge and hopefully, She-Ra would be amped enough for her healing to kick back in. She was sure of it.
Coffee, three donuts. Check. No bones jutting out, exposed to the air. No major gaping hole with blood pouring out. Catra suspected the wounds to be superficial although plentiful if itâd worn She-Ra down to the point that self-healing was temporarily benched. Objectively, logically, Adora would be fine. Sheâd seen her take worse.
Didnât mean she particularly enjoyed the bruises blooming with color across her skin or the angry lacerations that lined her body. Catra breathed in deep through her nose, pausing the moment to graze a thumb across her cheekbone before spurring into action.
âLetâs get you inside,â she instructed, grabbing her arm to drape over her shoulders since, yes, she noticed her limp - and it was fine for Adora to lean on her for a bit, she would support her through it. Melog was dutifully on the other side to flank her, bumping their head into her hand. The elevator would take them straight to their quarters. âWeâre getting you undressed, into a bath and Iâm bandaging anything thatâs open. I donât feel like testing whether or not She-Raâs capable of healing infections.â
Catra wanted to see everything. She wanted to assess the extent of the damage for peace of mind, and she wanted Adora to rest. She was done for the day. Vallo could burn and she wouldnât give a shit. Her wife wasnât leaving this ship.
That was probably the smartest choice. She-Ra didnât seem to heal illnesses so much as wounds, and Adora wasnât sure where infections fell on that spectrum. She didnât have the energy to do anything other than listen to what Catra said, anyway, letting her wife and Melog get her inside and upstairs to their room. She was so looking forward to sinking into their bathtub and letting her sore muscles finally relax.
Darla was locked up tight by the time Catra had helped her out of her clothes (an older pair of jeans, a purple t-shirt, and a gray hoodie that had probably seen their last day). She sat on the edge of the tub while it filled with hot water, reaching out to snag Catra and pull her in close. Sheâd always had trouble keeping her hands off her wife, but it was next to impossible now. She was glowing and gorgeous, and even after being beaten to a pulp, she just wanted to touch her.
âIâm sorry I scared you,â she said with an apologetic smile, brushing her hands up and down the sides of Catraâs belly. âIâm really okay, you know. She-Ra got me out of there.â
Apologies for this were dumb. Catra wasnât mad. Frightened, sure - but that wasnât Adoraâs fault. They knew what they had signed up for when employing themselves with the Defense Teams. They had talked about how it would be a tough adjustment with one of them staying behind. She also knew her wife was capable, powerful, and could handle almost anything hurled her way headfirst (sometimes even literally).
But she was also a person.
She didnât mean that in a way that diminished Adoraâs accomplishments. Itâs just that - one of her main gripes in life was how her power made her seem invincible when she wasnât, and people often forget that. Sometimes it felt like Adora could forget that, too. She-Ra was a tank. That didnât mean she couldnât get hurt, or like - die. She wasnât an expendable footsoldier.
The internal rant tightened her throat more than it should have. Fucking hormones. Adora was okay. Adora was safe. Adora was here, smiling up at her. Catra had been prepping the first aid kit (while showing signs of being pissy, tail lashing) when she coaxed her over, and thatâs when it hit her - they havenât kissed. Not once since she came back home.
Time to remedy that. âAs long as youâre okay,â she started, tilting Adoraâs chin up with a pointed claw. Catra dipped down to meet her lips, gentle and deep. Her scent was of sweat, dirt and blood - a mix she was too familiar with. âThen Iâm okay, dummy. It sounded⊠really rough out there, that's all.â A hand went to smooth down that mess of blonde hair. âTell me what hurts the most?â
Adora relaxed, leaning up into her wife to kiss her back. She knew Catra was trying to be calm for her. It was admirable, really, especially knowing she had heard everything that happened and was staying relatively calm. Adora knew if their positions were reversed, her cool would be gone. But sheâd always been much more high-strung.
She was sure she looked just as hellish as she felt which was very. She had really taken a beating, and it was hard to pinpoint just where the worst of the pain was coming from. But when she twisted, lifting her arm to expose the good-sized laceration not far from her right armpit, her uncertainty disappeared.
That freaking hurt.
âMy side. I think that thing had razors in its tentacles or something,â she muttered. She was mostly kidding, but it did have some sting to it when she stretched. That didnât stop her from poking at the wound as it slowly oozed blood. It was obviously congealed, not bleeding in any concerning sort of way. Still hurt when she poked it, though, making her grit her teeth.
âLeave it alone,â Catra chastised, taking a peek at the wound in question since thatâs what she suspected already - that, or whatever pain that had shot through her leg that caused the hobbling. If circumstances had been different she would be appreciating the vision that was her wife, nude, but even wounded and dirty she somehow managed to be the most beautiful dumbass in existence.
Itâs why the sigh she let out could only be described as fond exasperation.
Tub reaching its capacity in water, she reached over to shut it off. Thereâd be some scented bubbles for this bath (made with antiseptic soap, both efficient and relaxing), which Catra was reaching for in the first aid kit. âGet in and try to relax,â she ordered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. âIâm cleaning you up.â
This would be a situation where Catra might have actually joined her, but - turns out super hot baths needed to be avoided during pregnancy. Canât boil the kid in utero and all that. She hadnât been disappointed about that before until now, though sheâd survive. âWeâll rinse you off with the showerhead and then Iâm bandaging you until you can fix yourself up - got it? Then Iâll heat a plate of dinner.â
Yes, she had the entire evening planned out now around Adoraâs chilling the fuck out. There was no room for debate.
Normally, Adora would have protested Catra getting up and doing things when sheâd been doing her best to make sure she was the one relaxing lately. She was getting further into her pregnancy, and although she hadnât yet really gotten to the overexertion point, Adora was strict about making sure she didnât. Sheâd even been learning her way around the kitchen so she could do the cooking and keep Catra off her feet.
Tonight, she didnât have it in her to protest. She liked it when Catra took care of her; it happened rarely but not for lack of her wife trying. It was just that she typically powered through any pain she felt - it was the Hordeâs teachings ingrained into her. These days, She-Ra saved her a lot of it in general. Wearing her alter ego down to the point of exhaustion almost never happened, but sheâd been put through a hell of a lot today.
âOkay,â she agreed, gazing up at Catra with very tired but very loving eyes as she sunk into the hot water. âWish you could get in with me.â Shared baths had happened occasionally before the pregnancy, but she knew it wasnât feasible right now. That didnât mean she didnât wish she could wrap her up in her arms and just sit in silence with her. It was the only way she could imagine being more relaxed.
Catra wished the same, too. Baths made her soggy, okay, she didnât really like them but she wouldnât have protested to the idea of sitting with Adora while she was like this. Next best thing was to kneel (ugh, effort) by the tub. âYouâll get your chance in bed,â she chuckled, having grabbed a few clean washcloths and a wash bowl.
This was the best she could do. Catra couldnât be out there anymore - couldnât protect her, have her back when things got rough. But she could do her best to take care of her when she got home, somehow. It was something, even if she preferred to not have her wife come home bruised and bloody from a monster fight.
First order of business was that gash, and after rolling up her sleeves she soaped up a rag to begin to gently clean the area. âMade those homemade meatballs by the way,â she mentioned, looking at her with a small smirk. âFor that spaghetti tonight. Iâm guessing you worked up an appetite after your tango with - a fucking tentacle monster? What the hell, Adora.â
âTwo tentacle monsters,â Adora clarified because that was important. They were both terrifyingly large and, well, tentacle-y, but she could totally have handled one. It was being outnumbered that had screwed her over in the end. âAnd itâs not like I chose them! Stupid forest just decided I looked like I could handle them, I guess.â That last part was more of a whine than anything, followed by her bottom lip jutting out in a pout.
She kept her arm up and folded back behind her head so Catra had the room to clean out the gash on her side. It stung, but the pain faded as she worked, and at least she knew sheâd be clear of infection. âBut, more importantly, meatballs. You shouldâve told me that first. Meatballs are more important than first aid, babe, you know that!â
A playful grin followed, shot up at Catra with sparkling blue eyes. No matter how rundown she felt, the mention of food perked her right back up.
Oh, right. Two tentacle monsters. Catra rolled her eyes, working diligently on the cut - soaping it up, using the bowl to pour water over it gently, then scrubbing around it to cleanse the grime off her skin. Very much a wash and rinse deal repeated throughout, and soon she moved to the next wound. âIf you didnât need so much first aid then maybe it would be worth mentioning in the beginning, dummy. Here, let me get your -â
Face. The washcloth was twisting in her hands, wringing out the excess water so she could help clean up Adoraâs cheeks. Catra made a mental note to get her hair washed, too - never know if there were monster leftovers hiding in it. âDid, likeâŠâ she paused, gnawing her bottom lip with a fang. âWas it â do I distract you? With the earpiece?â
Part of her was worried that she, yâknow, contributed to this. That her insistence of listening in during patrols and talking her wifeâs ear out led to her guard being down and being injured like this.
Adoraâs arm had fallen back into the bubbly water while she turned her face to Catra to get the cuts there (quite a few of them, unfortunately) all patched up. She let her eyes fall closed for a moment, enjoying the feel of the washcloth brushing across her cheeks, but they flew right back open when she heard that hesitation in Catraâs voice when she spoke.
Immediately, Adora frowned, blue eyes searching that beautiful face. âYou know you donât. I like having you with me in whatever way I can.â She missed having Catra actually with her with her on patrols, of course, but being in constant contact filled some of that emptiness beside her. Normally, sheâd have Leon or someone else with her filling the physical gap, but there were inevitably days she was on her own sometimes. There was no perfect system, and she was insistent that she could handle herself. She had She-Ra so she was fine.
âI had my guard down, but it wasnât because of you,â she went on. Her hands were wet but she reached out to take Catraâs anyway, wanting to show her she meant what she was saying. âItâs usually so quiet that I took for granted it would stay quiet, and I shouldnât have. But thatâs not your fault. Thatâs me being a dumbass as usual.â
There was no self-deprecation in her tone, and the words were spoken with a knowing smile. Catra always called her a dumbass in the most loving way, and even she had to admit that she could be. Sometimes. Maybe particularly now, given they were fresh after all the monstrous glitches coming from the Temporal Concurrence and that big battle.
Catraâs eyes watched her with a bit of scrutiny, the spot between her brows creased in thought - and, yeah, she was looking at Adora as if she was hunting for any signs of bullshit. Sometimes she worried she held back to spare her feelings but this was also the same woman who punched her in the face while spiraling into a destructive mental breakdown as a wake up, get over yourself. So it was safe to assume that she was telling the truth, then.
âJust trying to see if we need to minimize any more risks to your attention span is all,â she snorted softly, taking a wet hand into hers for a kiss. The soap added the fragrance of citrus - it was nice. âBut if I do start distracting you, tell me? Iâll shut up for the sake of your safety. Cross my heart.â
Obviously she could set aside her bouts of neediness if it meant Adora came home unscathed. But injuries were part of the job - the expectation was realistic. Didnât mean it wasnât worth striving for, though. âNow tilt your head back,â she commanded with another kiss to her wifeâs hand, right on her knuckles. âIâm washing your hair.â
Adora nodded solemnly and actually did the little âcross my heartâ motion across her chest in response. She was usually astute enough to know when she needed Catra to do more listening than talking. Today had been a lapse in judgment but on her part. She was the one out there in the field; she knew this place now, knew what to expect, and sheâd let herself get too loose. That wasnât anyoneâs fault but her own, and she sincerely meant that.
She grinned and obeyed her wifeâs instructions, adjusting herself so Catra had access to her hair. She was perfectly capable of washing her hair herself (and patching up her own wounds, for that matter), but she could tell Catra needed this to feel a little better. She had no complaints. âScratch my scalp a little? Feels good when you do that.â
âMmhm,â she hummed in reply to that, hoisting herself up to sit on the ledge of the tub for better leverage. After wetting her hair, Catra squirted a generous amount of shampoo into her hands and began the lathering process - starting from the roots, claws scraping against her head gently as requested. It always felt better when someone else washed your hair anyway.
Gave her the opportunity to lean down, giving her a kiss to the center of her forehead. She didnât mind doing stuff like this - and Adora was right, she did kind of need it. They were supposed to take care of each other and right now this was the best she could do given her, uh, delicate condition.
Speaking of. âThey were moving a lot after you left from your lunch break,â Catra piped up, making sure to rub firm little circles at the base of her neck, right at her hairline. âLots of tumbling, lots of moving limbs. Itâs like your kidâs trying to fight me in the womb.â
âHmm. Wonder who they get that from,â Adora chuckled softly. They already knew Finn was going to be energetic and feisty; it didnât surprise her it was starting in the womb. And really, it wouldnât shock her at all if picking fights came with that territory. Catra had always been infamous for picking fights in the Horde - most often with Lonnie because she was a jealous thing, but sheâd gotten pretty soundly thumped by Octavia more than once when she was easily four times Catraâs size.
âGuess we probably woke them up with all that activity.â She smirked into her arms, folded on top of her drawn-up knees while Catra worked on her neck. That felt so good - little tingles shot up the back of her neck and worked their way up her head.
âNuh-uh, you canât pin that just on me,â Catra huffed. âYour solutions usually involve punching things.â Or stabbing them if she preferred to use the sword versus her fist, whatever. Point was - Adora could be just as aggressive although Catra did have her beat when it came to temper, or bouts of jealousy (that led to fighting with kitten claws). âBut considering the lack of volume control from earlier - yep, probably woke them up.â
Once her hair was sufficiently shampooed, she let her sudsy hands drop down to squeeze her shoulders - and then even lower to caress the canvas of her back, feeling the slight raise of scars beneath her palms. Time made it easier to stomach but they still hurt to see, sometimes.
(And she wondered - how old would Finn be when they asked about them?)
âUnplug the tub? We should get you rinsed now,â she advised, decidedly ignoring that invasive thought from her head. âIâm going to want to wrap a bandage around your midsection for that gash. Everything else seems pretty minor and should be fine but that needs to be covered up.â
Alright, that was a fair point. Adora didnât lose patience as quickly as Catra, but she was very much a punching things kind of guy, as sheâd told Bow ages ago. She was getting better about finding solutions outside of that, but she couldnât deny it was her go-to. Even her internal angst usually got taken out on a punching bag if it got to be too much, long before she decided maybe she might need to actually get it out in words.
Still, she stood by what sheâd said. Catra was fight-ier than she was, and she wouldnât be accepting any challenges at this time.
ââKay,â she accepted Catraâs instructions gracefully, unbothered. She could soak in the tub for another hour with Catra just rubbing up and down her back and be content, but she leaned forward to pull the plug up and let the water drain out. If she got dried off and dressed again, she got cuddles, and she couldnât deny that those were sorely needed right now. She was quite literally sore and maybe needed to be babied a little bit.
Once she towel-dried off and Catra had bandaged her to her satisfaction, they returned to the bedroom so she could put on comfy clothes - just a tank top and shorts. It was still cool outside, mid-March and approaching spring but not quite there, but she ran hot, even without She-Ra.
âNow can I hug you?â she asked, smiling at her wife and snagging her hands. âAnd I think I need another kiss. Maybe thatâll kickstart the healing.â
So maybe Catra changed her mind and had all the other minor stuff bandaged too - sue her, she was being cautious. Better safe than sorry if it meant that it decreased the risk of an infection. Adora looked better now that she was cleaned up though, no dirt or blood or gunk and she was about to excuse herself to the kitchen until -
âWhy do you even have to ask,â she smirked, circling her arms around her neck and closing the distance the best she could. That stomach created a small gap between them but she didnât mind much - not when she knew that being knocked up did wondrous things to her wifeâs libido. âDonât you want to, likeââ Catra paused that sentence to kiss her, a soft sound smothered into her lips, ââeat something? As in food before your mind goes into the gutter. I told you Iâd make you a plate.â
Grinning, she kissed her again and the next sound that came along were purrs. Quiet, happy ones that matched the half-heart shape the tip of her tail had curled into.
This was exactly what Adora needed most - her wife in her arms, content little purrs buzzing against her skin. Cat purrs were supposed to have some sort of soothing effect to it in general, but Catraâs especially made everything feel right in the world for Adora. Curling up together in bed when they were little things in the Horde going through rough days, those purrs had comforted them both, gotten them through.
âMm, not hungry,â she murmured, though that wasnât entirely true. She had a wild appetite and could almost always eat. But it wasnât her concern right now. Sheâd been through a hard battle, and she just wanted to be close to the people she loved most - and right now, that was especially easy, both of them contained in one being.
She pressed another kiss to Catraâs lips, caught a glimpse of that blissful tail, then dropped another lingering one to her forehead. âCome lay in bed with me? I could use some wife cuddles. Then maybe Iâll eat you again.â She grinned, waggling her brows in that lascivious way that almost always ended with her wifeâs hands shoved into her face.
âYou fucking dork,â she cackled loudly and yeah - there were hands being shoved in Adoraâs face, always when she wore that look. If she wanted cuddles sheâd get them, and then she would make sure her wife had a proper goddamn meal after expelling so much energy. âI hope you know you canât just sustain yourself by eating me ouââ
Oh. Catra paused, eyes blinking like something just dawned on her (or maybe like something just kicked her). Then she pushed Adora aside to climb onto the bed first (on all fours for a second, enjoy the view) before settling into a half-sit against the headboard. âCâmon, quick!â she beckoned, patting the spot next to her with enthusiasm. âI got something better than cuddles.â
She reached for the hem of her shirt and rolled it up, exposing the curve of her stomach. Catra had been feeling movement from the inside for several weeks now, and thereâd been a bit of movement that could be felt from the outside sometimes but it hadnât been too consistent. That was changing, though. âPut your hand on my left side.â
Adora trailed right behind, giving Catra a moment to settle in on her own first. She knew it was getting hard for her to feel comfortable sometimes, so she always tried to give her room and not yank her around and reposition her as much as she once had. And this time, she couldnât say she minded watching her crawl onto the bed like that; she may have licked her lips at the sight, actually. But as soon as her wifeâs eyes went wide and she summoned her closer, she was there, scrambling on the bed to sit beside her.
She bit down nervously on her bottom lip, letting Catra take her hand to place it exactly where she wanted it. Feeling movements and kicking from the outside was a newer development, and it didnât happen every time Catra had hoped it would. There was no missing it this time, though, eager little kicks right beneath Adoraâs palm. And there was no stopping the tears that flooded her eyes in response.
âTheyâre kicking hard,â she laughed, smoothing her palm along Catraâs belly whenever the tiny foot inside her shifted even a centimeter. She kissed her wife, quick and deep, before bending down to press a kiss to her belly. âHi Finn. Hi baby.â She shifted from the sprawled out half-sit of her wifeâs sheâd mimicked to lay down on her side so she could be closer, pressing her face against the bump and giving it another kiss. âI canât wait to see you again.â
Catra wasnât even fast enough to reciprocate the kiss but that was fine, thereâd be more later - right now she was focused on Adoraâs reaction which was stupid cute. The Biggest Sap Award went to her. She loved it, though.
Finn was active, and it looked like popcorn was popping beneath her skin. It was surreal as hell. Like - this was happening. This was really happening. It was a constant epiphany that awed Catra every day (while also giving her anxiety every day), and she could lay like this for hours if it meant she could witness this.
âWeiiiiiiird,â she laughed, looping an arm beneath her stomach while her other hand stroked through Adoraâs hair. âCrazy to think they know our voices now. And can, like - hear us.â Her wife talking to her stomach wasnât some silly concept, either. It was encouraged. Music was, too. âMakes you forget that you got your ass handed to you by a tentacle monster? Oh, sorry, two monsters. My bad.â
It was weird and kind of wild to not only feel those movements but see that little ripple effect they caused. Catra wasnât the only one that was constantly awed by everything that came with this pregnancy. Even witnessing it from an outside perspective was as crazy as it was thrilling. Adora knew she was really lucky Catra had even been willing to go this route - although that was all due to Finn themself, showing up at the most crucial moment to sway their mommy down the âokay, maybe kids would be fineâ path.
âYour mommy thinks sheâs sooooo funny,â she told the belly, trailing two fingers over the spot where some appendage or another was causing that little ripple effect. âBut she wouldnât have stood a chance against two tentacle monsters either, not even with those big scary claws of hers.â
âAnd your mama forgets Iâve fought bigger things,â Catra contributed smugly. Which was true, sheâs fought some corrupted robot-beasts before (that were all technically First Onesâ tech) but could she have won? Maybe. Possibly. Debatable? Whatever. âItâs all fun and games until you remember that Finn is your child and has tried fighting a spider monster at five with a cardboard sword.â
That impulsiveness was all Adora, though she hoped as they got older they would think before they tried headbutting something bigger than them. Thatâs what had happened with Catra, anyway. She was all fight fight fight as a kitten until she learned how to fight smarter - and dirtier. It wasnât always about brute strength and power.
But those were lessons learned the hard way, and she was determined to minimize those experiences for their kids the best she could. They would have everything neither of them had with nothing of what theyâve been through. âDo you want me to get you some ibuprofen, or something?â she asked worriedly, quips aside. Another set of jabs could be seen from her stomach; Finn was definitely on the move, and Catraâs stomach seemed to stick out more on the left side than the right. Way to make her lopsided, kid. âI know weâre comfy but if youâre still achingâŠâ
Another point to Catra for that. Their first encounter with their future little one including a toy sword and a giant spider monster would never leave her mind. That was all Adora, and she couldnât even deny it. For someone who had grown up on making plans and following orders, she could definitely be impulsive. More often than not, actually.
All that would change for Finn and their girls, though. She was determined to make sure that was true. Vallo wasnât the Horde. There were so many amazing opportunities here, things Adora couldnât have dreamed of on Etheria, even after leaving the Horde. She and Catra would make sure their kids had anything and everything they wanted. It was something theyâd talked about at length and a lot.
âIâm okay, honey, I promise.â Adora shifted again, settling against Catra and resting her head on her shoulder, one arm snaking behind her back. The other hand didnât leave the bump for a minute; as long as Finn was tumbling in there, she wanted to feel every bit of it. But she also wanted to kiss her wife, which she did, smiling against her lips. âThis is way better than anything ibuprofen could do for me.â
Hm. That was fair, she supposed. They were very comfy, and Catra didnât hesitate to let her arm fully slip around her wife to keep her snug against her side. She also had no qualms in being used as a body pillow - her Adoraâs had a long day and she could rest right where she was.
âOkay,â she quietly acquiesced, kissing her back, purring to help bring her more comfort. There had been a small pause in the tumbling before it started up again - maybe those vocal vibrations had something to do with it? Either way, it was fun to just lay there and let it happen; to feel them from the inside and outside. It was everything. âLove you, dummy. Glad you came back to us in one piece.â
Adora hummed, nudging Catraâs nose with her own and kissing her again. The soreness was nothing more than an afterthought right now. She was floating along contentedly, completely at ease with those purrs vibrating through her. âLove you too,â she murmured. âPromised I always would, didnât I? I donât break my promises.â
Not anymore, at least. She knew she had once, causing a fracture sheâd thought would be irreparable, but theyâd come so far past that. She had made promises here she was determined to keep, and coming back home when she went up against big scary monsters was one of them.
âI think I will startâŠlooking for something else, though,â she added after a moment. She had no idea what else she could do, but there was no absence of possibility out there. While she wouldnât say she was scared, She-Ra taking a backseat to recover made her very aware that she wasnât invulnerable, as much as she wanted to be. Maybe this wasnât so sustainable twenty years on. There was at least one future they knew of where a decade had changed everything.
Catra didnât flinch at the sound of Adora making promises. No more grudges meant she had let that resentment go, paving the way to something better. Sometimes it stirred old doubts, and she would think about the years she spent convinced that promises just made liars out of people but it was rare. Promises werenât laws you spoke into the universe that couldnât be shattered by outside forces anyway and she knew Adora meant to uphold every single one sheâs sworn to.
That was enough for her.
âShould I make you a list of possibilities like I did with the hobbies?â she chuckled, sinking down more into the pillows than using the headboard for support. That was starting to make her back ache and this was better, she thought. âYou know I donât mind. I have the time.â
Adora had advised her to take it easy and not push through things anymore. Catra had strangely listened. She had stepped down from the Defense Teams, got her little job doing art classes as part of an aftercare program for kids when they got out of school. She still did yoga, the occasional pole exercise (there were moves for pregnant women and sheâs mastered them) and beyond that - welp, she was free. Adora had even taken up some cooking chores since there were some things that didnât exactly vibe with Catraâs sensitive nose (grocery stores made her nauseous, and some ingredients had sent her gagging to the nearest bathroom) so she wasnât even cooking as much.
Oh, the hobby list. Adora chuckled right along with Catra, remembering the pages upon pages of Catraâs scrawl written in a little notebook stashed in one of the drawers of the coffee table. She remembered going through them one by one, pleasantly stoned and scratching through the ones that were hard nos. âCookingâ and âbakingâ had been among those hard nos, but the second sheâd found out Catra was pregnant, she was determined to master both. Sheâd even, somehow, managed to find the patience to take her failures for what they were instead of expecting instant perfection.
Maybe it was the becoming-a-mom thing - because she wanted so much to be that calm, collected version of herself she was at forty, not the barely-contained-mess she seemed to be in the future ten years on theyâd just managed to avert. She liked to think she was growing in the right direction.
The hobby list had been helpful, though. Sheâd never done much of anything but hit things a lot, and sheâd needed something different. Then, sheâd found photography and cartography, both of which she loved, because Catra suggested them, pushed her towards them. Her wife knew her better than she knew herself most of the time, soâŠyeah. This made the most sense.
âYeah, that would be really great, actually.â She nodded, wrapping one of Catraâs long curls around her index finger. âIf you really want to. I donât know that Iâve got a lot going on outside ofâŠpunching things. But if anyone can figure it out, I know itâs you.â
âIn your defense - youâre really good at punching things,â she smirked, dipping her head the tiniest bit to nuzzle her nose against her forehead. There was a kiss too, but it landed more towards the bridge of her nose. Still acceptable. âAnd you look really hot doing it.â
Catra was very into watching her wife engaged in physical activities. The strain of muscle, the way her jaw tightened in concentration - the furrow of her brows, the devastating levels of cocky that she wore in a fight. Watching her move across the battlefield would, like, ruin her. It always did even when they were on opposite sides of the war, she was just really good at lying to herself about it.
Anyway, before she got herself riled thinking about how attractive Adora was fighting things (and even though she got hit hard tonight there was no doubt she looked sexy taking down tentacle monsters) - back to the list. âBut I donât mind. Itâll be a broad list to give ideas and like before - we just narrow down the ones that interest you? You know thereâs no pressure here,â she reminded. âYou can take all the time you need to figure it out.â
âIâll make sure to work out extra often for you if I do leave Defense. I wouldnât want to deprive you of gawking at me.â She grinned devilishly, that same finger tightening just a tiny bit more in Catraâs hair and pulling her in for another kiss. She liked being gawked at, too, she couldnât deny it. Catra was never shy with complimenting her and showing her just how much she meant those compliments; their home gym had seen a lot of sexy times.
âYouâre kinda perfect, by the way. Doing all this for me. The list andâŠeverything.â She would never stop being in awe of Catra - in general, always, but moreso than ever now. Pregnancy wasnât a smooth, straight line, and sheâd had some rough spots. But she took it all surprisingly gracefully, and Adora couldnât be more grateful to her for what she was doing for their family.
Catra rolled her eyes fondly, a small giggle stifled into that other kiss - short and sweet, lips lingering lazily up until Adora had to throw some compliments her way. How dare she. âBetter watch it, princess,â she drawled with a sneer, lashes fluttering and framing this look she was giving her wife - very reminiscent of those wickedly smug gazes from their days of opposition. âWith talk like that I might get the impression that youâre in love with me or something, gross.â
Her new thing was to respond to comments like that with a little humor, sue her. She would argue that she was at least getting better so fuck yeah for continuous character development. âBut I want to do things for you. And if by everything youâre including this,â she paused, only to move Adoraâs hand over to a different spot. Finnâs movements switched and slowed but they were still up, lulled by the sounds of their voices. âThis is for me, too.â
Adora took the vaguely insulting humor in stride, without a hint of actually being insulted. This was how they worked - sometimes it was all mush (although even then, Adora was the mushier of the two) and sometimes it was spicy banter. It worked for them, always had. Sheâd probably be a little lost if Catra became a total softie overnight. She loved her snarky catgirl more than anything in the universe.
Her hand left Catraâs hair to return to her belly, and she smiled down at the spot where Finn was still twitching around in there. It made her heart race, feeling this tiny person theyâd made together was already so active and responsive. Hard to believe they were so close to the end.
âI know,â she murmured, kissing Catraâs cheek and looking up at her with sincere blue eyes. âI just know the baby thing freaked you out for a while, so Iâm just⊠Iâm really happy you decided you wanted it, too. Youâre gonna be such a good mom. You already are.â
Those were the compliments Catra struggled with most lately. Mom things. She had embraced pregnancy fine; didnât care for the attention it brought (and she had been really hesitant to announce in the beginning), but she had made the adjustments in life to carry on with the whole process in a safe, healthy way. It was their fucking kid - sheâd do anything, everything to make sure they were okay. Even when they hadnât taken their first breath yet.
And even if - you know, they might resent her for her past when they ask about how their mama got the scars on her back.
âIt was an easy choice to make the moment I met them,â she chuckled, shoving all those bubbling insecurities down - Adora didnât need to be burdened with those, not when she was looking so happy despite the bruises and exhaustion. âI mean, all it took was one sniff of them and my ovaries were likeâŠâ Catra made an explosion hand gesture with both hands, cheeks full of air, âbooooooom. Didnât even know they could do that. Amazing.â
âI know what you mean,â Adora chuckled - how could she not with that dramatic little explanation? Hand motions and all, she was so proud. âBut mine probably exploded way before yours.â She vividly remembered being confronted about what sheâd thought was a much more subtle baby fever than the reality. She still didnât know exactly when or why that switch had been flipped, but she was so glad it had.
She let her hand push upward, letting the fur on Catraâs belly brush between her fingers. A little surge went through her - the magical kind, a little fainter but closer to the surface than it had been in the last hour or so since her big battle. Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, meeting Catraâs eyes and tilting her head. âKiss me again, I think She-Raâs almost ready to come back.â
Oh, hers definitely did. Catra hadnât even considered kids an option. Maybe she would have thought about it later, down the road after some time passed - but Adora jumped into the idea, and she found herself tumbling in after her. She had no regrets about it.
Not a single one.
âIs that so,â she mused, quirking a brow at her declaration but nonetheless delighted to test that theory out. Catra really ought to make it a good one then. Her body slithered down to match eye levels, her hand reaching up to cup her cheek - thumb tracing the line of her cheekbone, pushing hair behind her ear. Their noses touched, a gentle brush from tip to tip, helping their faces find that perfect angle.
Catra kissed her when she found it. A tender gesture, capturing Adoraâs bottom lip between hers - right before deepening it with a teasing graze of tongue, stomach pushed into her.
Adora found herself shivering the second Catraâs thumb began its trajectory up her cheekbone, and it was easier than ever to sink into the kiss she was given. Even with Catraâs belly creating a bit of an obstruction now, they still slotted together perfectly. Warmth flowed through her when she felt that tongue teasing, and she took the initiative to deepen it fully, fusing their mouths together.
Thatâs when the warmth exploded, filling her from her top of her head to the tips of her toes. Turns out sheâd been right - She-Ra was there, beneath the surface, and that was proven by the explosion of golden light (with rainbow undertones, always rainbow undertones) that wrapped around them both. Her lips never left Catraâs, hands lifting to gently tangle in her mane of curls. By the time the kiss broke, the glow had faded, and Adora sat up to inspect the places the damage had been.
âSheâs back,â Adora enthused, grinning widely when she lifted her arms to find the bruises that had colored her skin had vanished. She pulled her shirt up over her head and turned her bandaged side toward her wife. âWanna do the honors?â
It didnât startle her when it happened. Catra knew this magic; knew it down to her bones, down to every single cell of her body. It was the magic that brought her back to life, the magic that saved their universe, the magic that had changed her body. Magic that was warm, that filled her with a sense of comfort she never thought possible.
To this day, it was the only magic sheâd ever let herself trust.
When it had all settled she was left there, comfortable and grinning too - lips tingling from that kiss. âGotta make me move, donât you,â Catra teased and pushed herself up by the elbows with a small groan. Her claws were eager to get to work though, ripping the bandages she had dressed that major laceration with. She was greeted with skin. Healed skin. Her palm rubbed over it. âMuch better. How are you feeling?â
Adora hummed thoughtfully before echoing Catraâs words. âMuch better.â She kissed her wifeâs nose, then her forehead, before reaching out to scoop her up into her arms. She could have done that even while She-Ra was essentially taking a nap, but it was even more impressive with her She-Ra imbued super strength at work.
âNow, you mentioned something about spaghetti and meatballs? Iâm kind of starving.â Adora had a healthy appetite all on her own, but She-Ra was a beast to feed. And now that she was fully charged up again, the need to refuel was much more urgent.
No protests in being wrapped up in her arms, and even with her expanding stomach Adora didnât seem to falter one bit - kinda nice to feel dainty still when Catra felt like she was on the precipice of wobbling awkwardly any day now. âI can still get it for you,â she offered, slipping an arm around her neck while her other palm was flat against her chest. âUnless you just plan to carry me to the kitchen with you.â
Which - actually? Her nose crinkled in thought.
âThereâs popsicles in the freezer,â she said, cocking her head to the side oh so cutely. Her ears even did the twitchy thing. âSo you should definitely bring me along. I want a popsicle.â
Oh, Adora had intended to carry Catra the entire time. Was that not obvious? Maybe it was the show-off streak in her (most likely, really), but she was feeling the urge to sweep her wife off her feet. She had been so worried and had taken such good care of her when she was down. She deserved to be rewarded for that.
âPopsicles for my queen,â she teased, knowing sheâd get a crinkled nose and a scoff for that, but hey, it was totally worth it.