WHAT: The start of Adora's "Horde birthday" weekend: a sleigh ride! WHERE: Mushroom Hill Ski Resort WHEN: Around sunset-ish today WARNINGS: Some talk of anxiety, drug usage in the form of edibles STATUS: Complete
âThis place is like being on some movie set,â Catra had said to her wife at check-in, in awe of it all; the plush snow, the grandness of it all in size, the coziness too. Foreign to them, but also familiar. Theyâve seen themselves walk through the lobby. Theyâve watched themselves participate in the yoga classes. Cuddle up by the fireplace (her on Adoraâs lap, obviously) while they nursed hot cocoa and listened to the live music. The restaurant where her Serendipity counterpart almost proposed to was here too, and for the fun of it, theyâd made reservations.
Last year sheâd taken Adora away to a resort in the city with an indoor waterpark and more of a nightlife sort of vibe. To be able to do something similar this year was nice - especially when she belatedly realized that the resort was an actual location in Vallo and that wasnât about to be passed up. She wasnât sure if sheâd do well with the, uh, snow activities (having her feet strapped on a snowboard or skis made her twitchy, it was always very important for her to have freedom with her strange little feet) but sheâd try if her wife was up for it. This day was theirs. The next two days were.
Finn was spending some overnight time with their Grandma and Aunt Teela - a decision they were able to consciously make this time - and being baby-free was strange. The anxiety of it had her a little fidgety when they made their way up to the mountains, but now that they were checked in and settled? Catra realized she had Adora. To herself.
So she pushed Adora into one of the plump chairs of their hotel room, sat on her lap (had to wriggle her ass right between those legs), and perused the brochure of things to do around here while her tail bothered her wifeâs nose. She was being a pest. âOhhhh, they have jacuzzis we can boil ourselves in,â she piped up. âWe can try ice skating and really see if it was my Serendipity Hills counterpart that sucked at it and not me, Iâm graceful as fuck.â
Adora had to agree â being at the ski resort that had been the centerpiece of this yearâs Serendipity Hills experience was like being on a movie set. That was sort of what it was in the end, right? A movie or a TV show with all of them cast as unwilling actors. That should probably be creepy, but it was always a good time. An angsty good time, as seemed to be their norm, but she hadnât done anything but pay attention to Catra. That was how she spent her regular life, too.
The options here for their fun little Horde birthday weekend were limitless. Adora thought she might want to try skiing, definitely ice skating, and the jacuzzi was a given. It was still cold enough that participating in those outdoor activities was going to require some warming up afterwards.
Being shoved back into a chair was unexpected but accepted without protest. She reeled back from that tail tickling under her nose, though, wrinkling her face up to prevent the sneeze building before she swatted at the offending appendage. But she wasnât worried about that. She had something else on her mind, and she thought sheâd better bring it up.
âHey, can I ask you something?â
âMmmm,â was the sound she made, eyes still on the printed text. Catra sunk deeper into her lap, draping her legs over the armrest of the chair, reading about shit like coupleâs massage (wasnât it weird, letting people touch you like that??) and then moving on to their shopping options. âAsk away, princess.â
âYou didnât do the cake thing,â Adora pointed out. Not that she was complaining necessarily; having cake shoved in her face was never her most favorite activity in the world, but it was a fun part of the little traditions theyâd established since coming to Vallo. It hadnât happened last year either, because Catra was pregnant and the delicious cake had been too much temptation. But Finn had been ejected into the world since then, and yet, Adora had woken up peacefully this morning.
It was weird.
âDid you forget?â
âWhâoh.â Catra blinked, tearing her eyes away from the brochure for a few seconds. Weirdly, she didnât expect that question. She wasnât sure why. It made sense for Adora to ask about it, considering how the past few years had gone. âNo. You donât really like it anyway? Youâve put up with it to entertain me, but.â Her shoulders shrugged and she went back to the reading material, flipping the page. âI figured itâd be a nice change for you to not wake up with cake in your face.â
Not that it was what happened last year, considering she got too excited and her pregnant ass consumed, like, half of it. Adora had woken up pretty pleased that none of it landed on her face first thing in the morning anyway, so she took the hint and rolled with it. Last thing she wanted to do was make Adora â miserable? twitchy? â with some of her antics.
âOh.â Adora contemplated that for a few seconds. She didnât particularly love having cake shoved in her face, that was true. It aggravated some of her neat freak tendencies. But sheâd have kept doing it without complaint. Future Finn had told them it was a tradition, and she didnât want to be responsible for ruining something her family enjoyed because she was being sensitive.
âOkay.â She pressed her face against Catraâs shoulder and didnât push the topic any further. She felt a twinge of guilt, and some voice inside her head asked her why she couldnât just be chill and have fun and let Catra have nice things, but she ignored it. There was no point letting this, of all things, cause some sort of minor crisis when they were here to have a good time. And Catra seemed unbothered, anyway.
âWell, what do you want to do first?â
Not having to do it didnât bother Catra, but that oh and okay that plainly followed her explanation didnât sit right. She could practically hear Adoraâs brain work, and she didnât want any words to be left unsaid. âDid you want me to smash cake in your face this morning?â she asked with soft amusement, watching her wife from the corner of her eye with how close they were.
Her tail behaved. It settled against her instead.
âI ordered a lava cake for later tonight.â Catra smirked. âFigured youâd want warm and gooey, and I guess I can smash it in your face once it cools down? Just, you know. Might make more of a mess than a regular frosted cake.â
âOh no.â Adora quickly shook her head. A lava cake sounded so good right now, and there was no way she was letting something that delicious go to waste. âNo ruining lava cakes with my face. Iâm okay with stopping. Really,â she said firmly. âItâs just⊠I wanted to make sure it wasnât something else you stopped doing because you think Iâm gonna overreact.â
âItâs not about you overreacting,â was Catraâs quick reply to that, closing the brochure and stretching her arm behind her to set it on top of the little round end table. âItâs kind of more about youâunderreacting, I guess.â
Her lips fluttered when she made a little raspberry sound, and then realized she should probably elaborate on what she meant with that.
âIâm trying to be more conscious about the things that bother you. I donât want you sucking things up for my sake because you think it makes me happy, orââ Or. She didnât know what to say beyond that because, ahhhhh, articulation was fucking hard sometimes so she waved a hand dismissively. âIf somethingâs not fun for you, then itâs not fun for me. My love isnât some fragile thing that youâll hurt my feelings by setting boundaries.â
Underreacting. Adora hadnât really considered that aspect. She hoped she hadnât done that much; both ways really felt like she was aiming to hurt Catra, in her mind, and she never wanted that. Her wife was her favorite person in the whole world, neck-in-neck with their little one these days, and she wanted to make her happy. And in doing that, she did sometimes suck things up because she could see it made Catra smile.
So, that was something to work on. Sheâd keep that in mind. The reassurance, though, was very much appreciated and had an almost deflating effect. The uncertainty that had tightened Adora shoulders and neck just seeped right out of her.
âIâm lucky to have you,â she replied, leaning up to press a kiss to Catraâs cheek. âThank you.â
âJust because weâre on some romantic getaway for your introductory Horde day doesnât give you the right to get mushy, god -â Catra grabbed her by the chin, and kissed her hard for two seconds before relinquishing her. Her tail gave one last, long stroke against her arm before slunk off her lap, flipping all that hair free from its normal bun over her shoulders. âAnd you pick something. Iâm open to pretty much anything.â
With a playfully long-suffering sigh, Adora reached over to pick up the dropped brochure off the end table where Catra had left it. âLetâs start out with something calm,â she mused, scanning the list until she came across an activity, picture included, and turned it to Catra to show her. âSleigh riding? The sunâs starting to go down, it could be romantic going down the trails and seeing the lights. No physical activity required either, and we get big fluffy blankets.â
âSold, and -â Catra spun around to face their bed. They didnât pack insanely heavy, but their bags were hefty with how thick the clothes they brought with them were. She unzipped it and grabbed a small tin jar stowed away in it, all to toss it back at her wife. âEdibles, by the way. In case you wanted to do it while weâre being dragged around on a sleigh. I know itâs been hard to indulge in that with Finn in the picture, sooooo.â
They were packed just in case. She prepared.
âI miss mellow-yellow Adora. She pets me extra and tells me Iâm pretty every ten seconds.â
âI tell you youâre pretty even when Iâm not high,â Adora laughed, popping open the tin jar to see a couple of gummies tucked away inside. She wasnât protesting â she had always enjoyed being high and it did wonders for her ridiculous anxious mind â but sheâd been good. It had been rare since Finn had come into the picture because sheâd promised it would be,and sheâd kept to that. She didnât feel being a constantly high parent would be a good look or, in her case, particularly helpful giving what a limp, if horny, noodle it turned her into.
âAre you gonna take a little with me this time?â
Catra dropped herself to the edge of the bed, legs crossed, upper-half of her body held up by her elbows. Edibles werenât â bad for her. She hardly imbibed in anything nowadays considering her pumping and nursing routine (ugh, the pros outweigh the cons, but it was still not all fun). Finn wasnât here to nurse, and she had enough supply back home for the week. She could, uh, just dump whatever she had while they were here.
Yeah. Thatâd be fine. She did that for their anniversary anyway, even if it was just one glass of wine she had.
âFuck it, sure. Iâm gonna need the smallest amount though. Iâve been out of commission on being intoxicated by anything for a year and a half for the most part,â she sighed dramatically. âI might get lightweight like you. We should definitely take advantage of this trip being just us.â
âIâll give you just the smallest sliver,â Adora assured her, grinning in delight. She had expected Catra to refuse altogether, but she was glad she hadnât. They could have a calm sleigh ride through the snow, then come back here, order room service, have that lava cake Catra had ordered, and just vibe with the world. It sounded like the best way to spend a Horde birthday she could imagine.
âI guess we should call the desk and ask them to book it,â she went on, reaching for the phone on that same end table to grab the receiver. âThen we get to wrap ourselves up in warm clothes. I need my earmuffs for my fleshy human ears, please.â
Aw, that grin. Worth it. Catra suppressed a purr for once â otherwise it would take over the whole room â and she rummaged through their bag to pull out a few more accessories. âPacked you your cat ones in case, because theyâre funny,â she snickered, and pulled out a hat for herself. Sheâd have to work with her hair a little bit for it, and walked into the bathroom to stand in front of the mirrorâ
And then let out a shout.
âThis is the bathroom where you discarded my poor little engagement ring! Wow. Wait.â Catra poked her head out. âIâm proposing tonight!â
âWeâre already married,â Adora retorted, hanging up the phone after having put in her request with the front desk. She stopped at their bed to pick up the cat ear earmuffs and sling them around her neck before she strode over to snag her wife around the waist and lean down to smooch her rather obnoxiously on the lips.
âAnd I didnât discard the ring. I just panicked! But Iâve got it now!â She even held up her right hand, where she wore her Serendipity ring on her ring finger; the left hand was occupied with her real engagement and wedding rings.
Catra liked obnoxious kisses. She swallowed a laugh to indulge in it, looping an arm around Adoraâs neck to keep her close to her level. âPfft, who cares. Iâm gonna do what I want and if that means I propose to you again needlessly, Iâm gonna do it,â she told her, a huff with a toothy grin, and snatched her wifeâs hand with the free one so she could look at the ring. âBut I do love that you wear this.â
The blue did match her eyes. Figures that her corny Serendipity self would have that shade seared to memory, too.
âItâs pretty,â Adora murmured, squeezing Catra gently. She didnât wear it â or any of the rings â all the time. They came off when she went to work without fail, and occasionally when dealing with Finn and all that came with mothering a young baby, but sheâd made sure to put them on for this trip. It was important to her.
âNot as pretty as you, though,â she grinned, pressing another, much briefer kiss on her lips.
Okay, fine, not stopping the purr that was a result of being called pretty. Catra chuckled, keeping their lips pressed softly together for a few extra moments before pulling back. âVery smooth of you,â she complimented, squeezing her hand. âIâm glad weâre doing this, though. I miss Finn, a lot.â
They were with them every day. Catra more so because of their arrangement â and it was a little weird to not be looking over towards a third person to ensure they were okay, fed, cleaned.
âI also like having you all to myself for a little bit,â Catra admitted.
âMe too,â Adora agreed softly. âFinn is⊠the most amazing little person, but I love the moments I get to have just you.â Missing times like these was what had inspired her mid-pregnancy cold feet, what felt like ages ago. Sheâd worried theyâd moved too fast and wouldnât get to be just them anymore when their baby came into the picture. She didnât have those worries anymore â if anything, the time away, while good, was a little strange in the best kind of way. She missed Finn, too.
âWeâll have to bring Mom and Teela something back to thank them for taking care of Finn. We didnât last time.â Which, she felt, was fair â last time theyâd been here hadnât exactly been voluntary.
âThey have an assload of shops here,â Catra mumbled into another kiss, agreeing. At least Finn wasnât a difficult baby; they were fairly easy to tend to despite their occasional grumpy face that clearly said but youâre not my moms. âWeâll get them something nice. Until then, though.â
Her hands stroked down Adoraâs sides, down her hips. Catra dropped to one knee and stared up at her seriously.
âAdora â will you do drugs with me?â
âYou totally missed the opportunity to do that with the jar in your hand,â Adora pointed out with a laugh. Nevertheless, she dropped down to her knees, grabbed Catraâs cheeks gently between her hands, and pressed a kiss to her lips. âBut yes, obviously.â
The jar would have been a nice touch, yeah; and after Adora met her on the ground she crawled over to the bed and reached for it, twisting the top open and twisting her nose at the scent that hit her. They had an aroma she didnât particularly care for, but at least they werenât snorting this shit. âFor you,â Catra offered, taking a piece the size of what Adora usually consumed and brought it to her wifeâs lips, pushing it almost sensually into her mouth. âOpen up, princess.â
Adora easily obeyed, letting Catra pop the piece into her mouth without protest. It was about a fourth of the small, circular gummy, and it would be enough to have her buzzing until she passed out for the evening. âYou should take about half that much,â she advised her wife. âJust to be safe.â
âYes, my little stoner expert,â Catra obliged, breaking off a piece of herself with her fangs and making a funny face at the flavor â which wasnât great, but she was quick to swallow. The jar was sealed up afterwards and set aside. She had no idea how the fuck it was going to hit her, but considering her only responsibility in the next twenty four hours was to enjoy time with her wife, she wasnât too worried.
Tilting her body forward, she knocked her forehead into Adoraâs with a grin. âLetâs finish getting ready. I promise I wonât ruin your sightseeing by going crazy on the lights,â she vowed.
âYouâre perfect,â Adora replied, slipping a hand under Catraâs chin to pull her in for one last kiss. âLetâs get moving.â
It didnât take them long to get changed into warm clothes and boots â at Adoraâs insistence; she knew Catra would continue stubbornly walking around barefoot if she didnât â and were trudging down the stairs to go meet their sleigh driver twenty minutes later. The sleigh itself was classical Santa Claus red, pulled by a horse and led by a driver in a cape and a top hat. It was quite a sight in person, but Adora didnât acknowledge them much beyond a hello and a thank you.
What she focused on was tucking them into the seat and pulling the two thick, fuzzy gray blankets up to tuck around them both so they could be as cozy as possible. It was frigid outside, but cuddled up under the blankets, it didnât feel as bad as it could have.
âAre you cold?â she checked with Catra, tucking an arm around her waist. She did run hot, even if it wasnât enough to stave off the cold, and she was willing to share her body heat.
Snow wasnât her favorite. It was wet and cold â two sensations that made her recoil with a growly pout â but she didnât express any of the usual discomfort. For once, none of it was bothering her and Catra was chalking that up to the occasion and the obvious company (plus the boots she was encouraged to wear, that helped). Their night was going to be good.
âOh, totally,â she lied, and it was obvious she was lying with that smirk she wore as she nestled into her wife, soaking up all that closeness and heat. Adora was her personal sun, and she could spend the whole night being held like this. âYouâll have to keep your arm around me the whole time. Might have to squeeze me often for a little extra warmth too, yâknow?â
âI can do that,â Adora chuckled, wrapping both arms around her wife and pressing in even closer. The sleigh moved smoothly enough that they werenât jostled as they trotted along the paths. The sun had nearly set, and the glow of the strings of holiday lights so intricately strung up along the trees were so pretty to take in.
âCan you believe,â she said into Catraâs ear, âthat this year, Finnâs gonna be a whole year old?â
Well, damn. Catra got both arms. She was delighted, and under the blanket she made sure to tangle their legs up together as if they were some personification of an actual knot, and â
She pulled her head back to glare at Adora, offended.
âDo you want to make me cry? Because thatâs how you make me cry. You know I have a lot of mushy emotions about our spawn, Adora.â
âAnd you know I like when you have mushy emotions,â Adora countered easily, kissing Catraâs forehead with a grin. âSo, tell me all your mushy emotions. And if we should be planning a birthday party because I think we totally should. We can get them a fun smash cake with, like, Bluey on it or something.â
Goddamn mushy emotions. Catra hated it sometimes. Sheâd always been an emotional creature, but there were moments where she didnât know what to do with all the damn fluttery ones that made it feel as if her heart was choking her. She was still glaring at Adora â that kiss hadnât wiped it away â and her lips stuck out, pursed into a pout.
âI love the idea of them shoving their face into a cake,â was her response, so embarrassingly soft despite all the grump etched in her face. Her head went to rest on her shoulder to watch their surroundings as the sleigh moved, sloshing through the snow. âI thought about making their cake. I donât know how good Iâd be designing it, but I donât know. I just like the idea of making all their birthday cakes. Mara and Hopeâs, too.â
Oh no. The mushy feelings. There were so many now as she thought about them while her brain was getting a stoned haze.
Adora wasnât sure why that surprised her. It shouldnât. Catra enjoyed cooking and baking, and she had for a long time now. She had taken to being a mom so well and everything that entailed. Of course she would want to make their cakes. She would probably make all their future Halloween costumes, too. That was just the kind of mom sheâd become.
âYou can do that,â Adora encouraged her. âThe designs donât have to be perfect, especially not now. But I think even when Finn gets older, theyâre not gonna mind because theyâll just be excited their mommy made it for them.â
âMake them with me,â Catra suggested. It wasnât an outlandish thought. Adora was competent in the kitchen now that she allowed herself the grace of trial and error. Sheâd taken the brunt of it too during her pregnancy, when she was too tired and the smells in the kitchen got her too nauseous â and even now, with Finn in the picture. âCould be one of those corny little traditions. I think itâll be better coming from the both of us.â
Maybe theyâd get better with every cake, but those first ones didnât have to be perfect. It was going to end up everywhere anyway.
âThen theyâll just be excited that both of their moms made it for them.â
Adora hesitated just a little bit at the thought. It was a good idea, and she wanted to do it, but old stresses died hard. She was adept in the kitchen now, sure, but she always worried she was going to mess things up again. Maybe sheâd make one mistake and regress all the way back to square one. It wasnât impossible.
âLetâs do it,â she agreed, in spite of those worried thoughts fluttering through her mind. She grinned at Catra. âWe can even start working on test cakes when we get home. You canât tell me thatâs not a win-win. We get good at making cakes and get to eat all the tests in between.â
Pressing her lips against Adoraâs neck, she whispered a happy, âYay.â
It felt silly to be elated about something so simple. Baking fucking cakes just so they could perfect Finnâs first. And to do that with Adora was a lot more ideal than doing it by herself. Finn was theirs; Adora had equal dibs on those kinds of mundane experiences too.
The light displays were coming to view, and they were extravagant just like the brochures had illustrated. All the twinkling and blinking had her pupils enlarge, but that could also be a side effect from the edible too. Either way: that shit was neat to look at, and Catra nuzzled her cold face into her wife more.
âYouâre the best MILF,â she purred. âI hope you turn into Little Adora one day so I can tell her how cool she ends up as an adult.â
âThatâsâŠa weird wish, but I appreciate the spirit of it,â Adora chuckled. She remembered feeling the same when little Catra had been around. That time had been stressful, and she had been frustrated with Scorpia and with their circumstances, but it was hard not to be enchanted with Catra at such a young, sweet age. Even then, sheâd seen enough bad to know her life wouldnât be easy, but Adora had been able to reassure her that she would figure it out, everything would turn out all right, and there was something cathartic about having that chance.
She could sort of imagine what little Adora would think of this place. Sort of. Sometimes those days felt like yesterday, but most of the time, it felt almost like another life. It was a time before the anxiety that still crippled her to this day. Not that any of that was much of a bother right now, as her mind drifted and the sensation of Catra purring against her were all she could manage to focus on.
âYou think weâll ever have just a normal life?â
âWeird question, but I appreciate the spirit of it,â Catra echoed back with a snort, and made a noise in the back of her throat when they went up a hill - and then down it abruptly, hitting a few bumps on the way. Nothing that would jostle them out of the sleigh, though.
She freed up a hand to smooth some of her windswept hair back, already dreading having to brush through the knots that were forming, but that was a problem for Future Catra. âNormalâs subjective,â she went on to answer. âLike, are we going to have the typical normal life those rom-com movies like to show? Nah. Lifeâs too weird for that. I think we just gotta figure out what normalâs gonna mean and feel for us and stick with that. It doesnât have to be a carbon-copy of what others think itâs normal. Itâs just gotta beâour normal.â
Those were a lot of words.
âAm I rambling?â
âYeah,â Adora replied easily, because she was and that was okay. âBut itâs good, and youâre right. Just hope weâre not constantly aging up and down all the time. I want to just stay in place and be able to live life without worrying about that.â She pressed a kiss to Catraâs forehead and smiled against her skin. âI loved little Catra, though. Even though she threw up and hid from me.â
âI donât mind the aging up and down,â was her honest reply, letting her hand rest over Adoraâs chest. The exact spot of that Failsafe scar was sewn into her memory, and so was its design; she traced it lazily (which was the best she could do over a coat, and inebriated) as they talked. âI mean, I donât want it to happen all the time, but a little bit of the time is fine. I also wouldnât be all that sad if it stopped happening? Iâd still get my Oldora.â
Assuming Vallo didnât fuck them. Theyâd gotten lucky â stupid lucky â and the paranoid part of her, the part that always whispered this wonât last, you never win, youâre a fraud for thinking you deserve this life forever was just expecting them to be the next pair to be torn apart by this placeâs whims. Catra didnât want to get pulled too hard in that direction of thought. Her brain could get messy and dangerous, and sheâd come up with all these hypotheticals and hurt her own damn feelings over scenarios that hadnât happened.
Catra swallowed, and then said, âThat decoration over there looks like a dick.â
Adora took the subject change. She knew she was going down a serious path, and she didnât want either of them having bad thoughts right now. This was their happy (and voluntary) vacation weekend. She wanted to enjoy it to the fullest and make sure Catra did, too. So, she turned to look at the alleged dick decoration, and she laughed softly when she saw it.
âIt kinda does look like a dick,â she agreed. âI didnât expect to encounter dicks on a sleigh ride. Thatâs one for your photo albums.â
Catra rolled her eyes. âOh, fuck off. Dicks donât have a place in my albums. Itâs likeâwholesome stuff! With some very clever innuendo in the notes that will take Finn twenty years to understand, probably.â
Hopefully.
Adora giggled, not the least bit offended by being told to fuck off. It was part of their love language, and it inspired her to lean down and press her lips to Catraâs, too. The kiss was a little chilly, but it didnât stop her from stealing another.
âIf Finnâs anything like me, itâll take them twenty years or more, donât worry.â
Catra let that giggle fill her ears and reveled in the feel of soft lips against hers. They felt warm; warmer than the rest of her, warmer than the air around them. Having a high state of mind was weird and had started getting her worried about, uh, ruining the vibe, but no. This was good. Adora kissing her brought her back.
âYou know what we should do at some point,â she mumbled, ignoring the lights because none of that was as pretty as her wife in cat-themed earmuffs. âThe hot jacuzzi thing. The private one.â
Adoraâs eyebrows raised, and she felt a little heat flood her cheeks. The intimacy behind that statement was having its effect, warming her from the inside out. Her interest was very obviously piqued.
âWe gotta do that,â she agreed. âMaybe when we get back, since itâs cold out here and all. Itâd be a nice way to heat up again.â
Catra did, in fact, enjoy the occasional bath with Adora. Itâd taken a little time (especially after having drowned by a literal fucking nightmare), but she didnât loathe the idea and the suggestion seemed fitting for their little getaway anyway. âWeâre gonna be useless afterwards with that lava cake,â she grinned at her, tugging at the front of her coat. A hot soak withâwhatever that might entail, and then in bed with dessert?
Oh, she was looking forward to that.
âWe can be useful tomorrow,â was Adoraâs reply. They didnât get lazy nights to themselves anymore, and now they had the opportunity. They could let everything else fall to the wayside and focus on each other and indulging in luxury things for a little while. It was her Horde birthday, after all â she could do what she wanted.
âLike skiing,â she went on. âOr snowboarding. Both better activities for tomorrow. Youâre too high not to fall into a bunch of snow.â A pause, then: âAnd I probably am, too.â
âDude, weâve done none of that our whole lives,â Catra pointed out, her hand making a path up to cradle the back of her neck. âWeâre both going to fall into a bunch of snow, stone-cold sober, trying to one up each other in something weâre going to totally suck at.â
Adora looked down into those mismatched eyes she loved so much, and all she could do was grin. It was true. That was exactly how it was going to go down. She had a little bit of practice on a skateboard from her early Vallo days, but she wasnât cocky enough to believe she would have the same prowess on a snowboard. With the two of them, it was inevitable that they would be a competitive mess and return to the hotel covered in snow and shivering.
But that wasnât a bad image. Not even close.
âYeah, and itâs going to be so much fun,â she retorted. She leaned her forehead against her wifeâs and kissed her lips again. âDonât act like you wonât love it.â
Catra sighed into the kiss. It was resigned, annoyed, but somehow still happy. She was right: she loved it, and the whole damn thing was going to be a good time. âYeah, yeah,â she grumbled, pulling her head down for another kiss. Harder, like she was trying to make a point. âGonna love sucking less out of the two of us. Iâm graceful as fuck, just you watch. Iâm going to glide down that snow like a feline-swan.â
âA feline-swan sounds really creepy,â Adora commented. What she was envisioning in her head would probably be considered a downright abomination. Too bad she didnât have even a fraction of Catraâs artistic skill or sheâd try to draw it out for her. âRemind me to get one of the helmets with a GoPro installed so I can capture all this alleged gracefulness on camera.â
There was another bump they hit, enough to have them bounce on the sleigh. Catra tightened her grip, sprawling her leg across Adoraâs lap in what could almost be some kind ofâhalf-straddle? It was Clingy Monkey Mode time. âGood luck with that,â she huffed. âItâs just going to be recordings of my ass because Iâm going to distract you so hard.â
The bump was enough of a jolt to have Adora blinking in surprise, too, but she dealt with it by simply wrapping herself around Catra further. This was not what her high brain would prefer in terms of sensation, but they were probably getting to the end of their sleigh ride soon enough. Sheâd enjoyed the brisk ride, but she was ready to hop in the jacuzzi, then curl in front of their fireplace in their room.
âThat sounds great to meeee. And itâll fit right in with my current collection. Catraâs Butt: Ski Edition.â
Catra didnât want to laugh at that. She really didnât. It was stupid! Catraâs Butt: Ski Edition?
She laughed anyway. It was probably funnier anyway with how high she was feeling, because Catra was feeling it. âYouâre soââ Her hands went to smoosh against Adoraâs face, as if she was trying to push her away despite her insistence that their limbs stay tangled up like vines. âYouâre such a dork! Ugh, I love it. I love you. You suck. Iâm going to eat all your cake.â
All Adora could do was grin, despite the contortions Catra was putting her face through while she laughed. She loved the sound of Catraâs laugh. She loved being the person who made her laugh. She wished she could go back and retroactively put that into her wedding vows: Iâm going to make you laugh for the rest of our lives.
âI love you too. But I will tackle you if you eat all my cake,â she threatened playfully, lifting her hands to thread gently through Catraâs hair. âThatâs a promise.â
âJokeâs on you, princess,â Catra smirked, all that amusement melting into something provocative and wicked. It was probably against some kind of guideline when riding this thing to move on her seat to straddle her partner, but she did it anyway because rules were for suckers and she wasnât one of them. âI want you to tackle me, among other things. Eating all the cakeâs just a bonus.â