WHAT: Catra and Finn are sick babies and Adora plays nurse WHERE: Darla WHEN: Before Wild Vallo no i didn't forget why do you ask WARNINGS: Sickness but nothing crazy bad STATUS: Complete
Catra could handle it. Or so she thought.
They had an incredible streak of Finn not getting sick. It wasnât as if they kept them in a bubble; they went outside plenty, and they let Finn put their hands in grass and dirt and flowers. If they went out to eat, Finn was with them, grabbing just about anything they could put their hands on before putting those exact hands in their mouths. Spirit licked them constantly after licking himself. Germs built up the immune system and all of that, and Finn had proved to have a tough one.
But they inevitably caught something - as they expected the day would come - and it started with a stuffy, runny nose. Loss of appetite to the point they had to cut milk with Pedialyte, otherwise theyâd spit everything up. The experience was a first and had them a little frazzled, but the pediatrician assured them that theyâd be fine, to give them a little medicine to keep the fever controlled, and focus on hydration versus trying to force-feed them.
Finn was smiley with them though, pink cheeks and glassy eyes and all. They always sought out their pacifier to put into their mouth for comfort, and while they were a little extra whiny (rightfully so, Catra would never be mad about it), they were a lot more clingy. And sleepy. And pitiful.
The first day was easy. The second day, the symptoms worsened, but they were managed. The third day was expected to be more or less the same. All that was true for Catra as it was for Finn, because she felt that annoying tickle in the back of her throat; the aching pressure over her eyes, a nose that was beginning to feel stuffed. She pushed through fine.
Until the third day, that is. Adora was supposed to patrol. Finn would be fine with her even if she wasnât feeling her best, but she woke up uncomfortable with some aches, a head that was killing her and a throat that felt raw. Finn needed attention though (diaper, face wiped, a bottle so theyâd get some electrolytes in their system, medicine) and while Adora handled most of it, Catra admittedly struggled. She could handle the day with Finn by herself.
Maybe. Not really.
Finn was in the middle of their bed, diaper-only, just kind of laying there with a toy when Catra stood up to slip behind Adora, arms wrapping around her waist, and pressing her warm forehead against the back of her shoulder.
âI think I need you to stay today,â Catra mumbled, admitting defeat.
Adora had expected this day would come. Kids got sick, she knew that. She remembered yearly illnesses raving their squad back in the Horde, and there was just no escaping it, even if you had the healthiest immune system ever. Finn getting their first cold was a rite of passage, and it was one she and Catra could handle. There was no doubt in her mind of that.
Hadnât stopped her from wearing gloves and a mask the first day, just to be safe. Her immune system had been boosted by She-Ra a long time ago; she didnât get sick, except that one time when magic had been infected, and she had. It left her a little paranoid, but that paranoia faded quickly after the first day. She hadnât been able to bear handling their sick baby, who was smiling despite their sickness but soaking up even more love and cuddles than usual at the same time, with gloved hands.
The first two days were relatively easy. She got into a routine of how to manage it and her worries were assuaged after the video consultation with their pediatrician early yesterday morning. The worst of the worst seemed to have all converged on day two, and she was hoping that meant day three would lighten up a bit, especially when she was due to go to work for her patrol day. But the reluctance she felt to leave Darla was palpable.
She was considering just calling Kara and taking the day when she felt Catra press up against her back, and she blinked in surprise at the request she heard. It was rare for Catra to admit she needed help, even now, and it was enough to raise some concern.
âYeah?â She turned around and dropped her hand to cup Catraâs cheek. She frowned at how warm she felt and raised the other hand to the opposite side. âYouâre hot.â
âMmm,â was Catraâs response to that, not even taking the bait to make the very obvious joke. She didnât look sick, not like Finn. Finn had the snotty, irritated nose, and shiny, droopy eyes. They were visibly miserable.
She didnât have any of that. Maybe a light flush to her cheeks, but the warmth her skin radiated was telling. She couldnât mask her temperature. She wasnât trying to really mask anything, though there was a part of her screaming to suck it up and carry on. It might be exhausting to look after Finn like this when they were both feeling under the weather but she could do it if she had to.
Except she didnât have to, did she? Adora had taken care of her during the uncomfortable moments of pregnancy and all that post-partum mess without complaint, through food poisoning. This wasnât anything like that â just an immune system catching the same kind of bug their child had, literally the most innocuous thing. Easier than all the aforementioned, really.
âFull-time mom duty by myself is gonna be hard today, sâall,â she mumbled, wishing she could sink into Adoraâs touch right now. âFinn deserves way better.â
âWell, youâre not on your own. Iâm gonna full-time mom you both,â Adora declared. She knew Marlena would help out where she could, too, when she got home, but sheâd already left for Boydâs for the day. She seemed to be enjoying the mechanic job, and it was good for her to be something other than Mom and Gramma.
Besides, Adora could handle this. She had gotten accustomed to taking care of Catra as much as she would allow, and Finn was easy, even at their most miserable. They were just baby and needed to be fussed over. Adora was well-equipped for that.
âBed for you,â she said, ushering Catra back over to where Finn was resting in their bed. âLet me call Kara and get you some tea.â
Catra sighed, the final sign of her caving in. âYeah,â she rasped out, leaning in to nuzzle into the crook of her neck for a brief moment. She was exhausted and Adoraâs scent was a medicine of its own. âOkay.â
Giving into the way her bones felt more like metal weighing her down, her return to bed was slow and heavy. Finn looked absolutely pitiful but was happy to roll onto their side to face their mom. Catra scooped them up into her arms, pressing a kiss against a soft ear. âI know how youâre feeling, kid,â she murmured, curling her body around theirs, a soft rumble of sickly purrs vibrating from her chest and throat. âAnd I hate it for you.â
Adora stopped to kiss both their foreheads before she left the bedroom with her phone in hand. Kara was, as expected, gracious as ever and told Adora to take the time she needed to take care of her family. Their team still hadnât recovered from the recent bouts of disappearances, but Kara could easily handle patrol on her own if need be, with all her extra super senses to help her out.
That left Adora to make Catra a cup of chamomile tea and prepare the mixture of breastmilk and Pedialyte that theyâd been living off for the past few days for Finn. As soon as everything was ready, she returned to their quarters, trying her best to tiptoe in case Finn had fallen asleep again.
âTea, babe?â she asked Catra softly, setting the steaming cup on Catraâs nightstand. âIâll feed Finn if you want to sit up and drink.â
Finn hadnât dozed off yet, but they were getting there. Their blinks were sleepy and slow, mouth suckling on the pacifier, their little fingers toying with the tip of Catraâs tail because the texture was soothing. They had a cozy nest going on and she loathed to untangle herself from it.
But there was a hot beverage she should attempt to choke down, and Finn needed a little more hydration. She forced herself up with an uncomfortable mrrrp, picking the baby up with her so she could pass them to Adora. âGo to mama,â she said hoarsely. âSheâs the best mama.â
They went easily of course â grabby hands and everything.
Adora kissed those grabby hands as she tucked Finn into the crook of her arm, staying standing so she could keep them moving and perhaps lull them back into sleepiness after some hydration. Getting them to take the bottle in place of the pacifier was a bit more of a challenge, but she managed to make it happen and leaned over to drop the pacifier on Catraâs nightstand as well.
âHow are you feeling?â she asked her wife as she paced slowly between Catraâs side of the bed and the bathroom door with Finn in her arms. âThe throat sounds bad.â
Catra didnât respond right away. She was scrutinizing the tea, freckled nose twisted up by the scent of it. Hot tea was never her favorite, though Adora often made it when something was physically ailing her. They helped more often than not. She sipped it cautiously, and it wasnât really about the taste and temperature but more about how it would feel going down her throat.
Predictably, it felt like glass at first â until the heat began to feel like a balm against the soreness of it all, so the hot tea thing was a good move. Adora always seemed to know just what she needed.
âLike I should hide in the vents and sweat this out,â she chuckled, leaning back against the pillows. âIâm⊠ache-y. Headâs feeling a little stuffy. I donât know if Iâm cold or hot. I hate it. I feel slow.â
âWell, you can hide right here in bed, no need for vents,â Adora replied, the sympathetic smile she flashed her wife half-amused as well. She was happy that Catraâs tendency to hide when she was sick hadnât taken over like it used to back in the Horde. She didnât want her to have to pretend she wasnât sick because it was taken as a sign of weakness. They werenât child soldiers anymore, and sometimes sickness just happened.
âI guess our little bundle of joy here is a real sickness mine, huh,â she murmured, running her free hand over Finnâs mess of blonde hair. They were big enough to hold their own bottle and were looking up at her with slightly glassy blue eyes. âLuckily theyâre still the cutest in the whole world.â
The bed was way better. Felt safer, too. Catra wasnât antsy about it. She was a little frustrated about getting behind on a few things around the house â she was still working on refurbishing that little table and chairs set for Finnâs birthday, even if that was a few months away still â but she didnât want to be the receiving end of Adoraâs exasperation if she had sucked it all up and said nothing. They were beyond all that for the most part.
âEven when they explosively sneeze all over us,â Catra smirked, watching the two of them. Finn sucking down the bottle was a good thing; she was going to try and get them to eat something soft and easy like jell-o today. âI was gonna do laundry since they got snot on all their clothes and ours, and thereâs a few things I can try making to see if theyâll eat some solids. But you guys are far away from me when I need you closer and itâs making me sad.â
âSorry, sorry.â Adora grinned, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed and offer the baby back up to their mommy. This was one of those moments where she wished her healing power worked on any kind of sickness, but sadly, it was only injuries. And as much as she hated seeing Catra and Finn sniffly and rundown, it didnât count as an injury.
âI should go take care of that laundry.â Still, she made no move to get up just yet, reaching out to cup Catraâs cheek again and smiling down at her softly. âMaybe strip the sheets later and get those cleaned, too, so youâre not laying in a pit of germs.â
âWeâre all lying in a pit of germs, like a family,â Catra snickered, but the little noise got all mangled in the back of her throat and it ultimately ended with a cough she tried really hard to contain. It sounded like she was gurgling gravel. âUgh, sorry.â
The mug was set down so she could accept Finn back. The bottle was almost finished and there was a sudden fussiness â exhaustion was her guess. They just needed to lay down and doze off finally, so she set them on her chest. âLaundry later. Stay next to us? Maybe you can use a little magic to help them sleep better?â
Of course Adora nodded. The chores to be done could wait a little longer. So she took an extra few moments to peel off her boots and jacket, tossing it over the dresser before she circled the bed to slide in close from the other side. One arm slid overtop of Catraâs pillow while the other found Finnâs back and began letting the healing flow through. It wasnât going to fix their fever, but it could bring them some ease in sleep that they desperately needed.
âCan you believe weâre gonna be doing this for the next eighteen years?â she asked Catra softly.
âDuh,â Catra snorted, keeping a decent grip on Finn because they were being stubborn, mumbling out some noises â a raspy little mama in between all of it â but the magic settled them. Their body recognized it (she dared say that Finn was made up of some of that magic) and their head went back to rest on her chest.
They were watching Adora, though. Tired, slow, maybe even meaningful blinks. In a few moments, their eyes would close completely.
She kissed the top of their head, smoothing some of that messy hair back. âIâll happily take it. I like this sort of thing, you know? Itâs not always easy, but it also⊠is easy.â
Adora squirmed in closer to Finn, pressing a soft kiss to their forehead, her hand still moving in slow circles across their back. She knew they would stubbornly stay awake if they could, but the only way they were going to find the path to recovery was if they slept. Magic was a cheat not every parent had; she was grateful it helped soothe them.
âI know what you mean.â She shifted to lay her head beside Catraâs on the pillow. âI always knew being moms would be great. Even when itâs gross.â
Except for her far-too-late-for-it bout of cold feet, but they didnât talk about that.
Catra tipped her head back into Adoraâs arm and laughed out this croaky sound. It stung her throat, but that didnât stop her. âItâs so gross,â she agreed. âThe amount of snot and spit up weâve cleaned off them and ourselvesâanyone else, Iâd be pissed.â
They nuzzled deeper into her chest, mouth hanging open with some labored breathing as they transitioned into sleep. Breathing through their nose wasnât happening yet so theyâd been doing this a lot. It was a cute look, their face all squashed up against her and ears drooping against their head.
âI donât think Iâve ever felt this comfortable while sick,â she murmured, turning her head to smirk at Adora. The slight movement made her brain feel like liquid sloshing in her skull, the dizziness making her glad she wasnât on her feet. âThanks for staying, princess.â
âThanks for asking me to stay.â Because Adora would have gone right to work if Catra hadnât spoken up. Sheâd already suggested she stay for Finnâs sake last night and been told that no, Catra had it handled, it was okay, go patrol. So, sheâd agreed. It was just one day, and sheâd been cutting back on office work as much as she could around these random portal happenings. She was feeling closer and closer to stepping down these days; it was just a matter of finding something else that felt right for her.
âYou should sleep, too,â she pointed out, lips finding their way to Catraâs forehead next. âMaybe you can escape some of the badness if you rest now.â
âTake them?â Catra asked quietly. Finn was purring softly in their sleep, but it was that rattled, ill purr theyâd been hearing lately. She hated to hear it. If she could rip the sickness out of their little body, she wouldâbut it wouldnât be the last time theyâd endure with a sick kid. âPut them in the bassinet, maybe? Kind of want you to hug me and pet me and tell me Iâm pretty even if Iâm not kissable right now.â
âNeedy,â Adora teased in the most loving tone. She pushed up onto her elbows as carefully as possible so she wouldnât jostle the little one awake. The bassinet was still on her side of the bed, and with gentle hands, she relocated Finn back into their little bed. She smoothed her hand across their back with healing fingers once more before pulling away.
âNow, where were we?â She pulled her long-sleeved shirt off over her head, leaving her in her tank top, and laid flat on her back in the middle of the bed. She reached out with both hands. âCome here and let me pet you, wifey.â
Needy, yeah. Three years ago she might have gotten a little huffy about it and self-conscious but she knew Adora liked it when she got clingy. And she was craving the closeness, the comfort, the safety of being taken care of when she was all vulnerable and gross.
Rolling into Adoraâs arms was easy. Catra didnât realize how cold she feltâdespite the burning skinâuntil she pushed into her wife. The body warmth made her shiver and encouraged her to burrow, face rubbing into her chest and the scar the Failsafe had left behind. âYou feel good,â she groaned. âDonât leave us. Weâre both needy.â
âIâm not leaving you,â Adora murmured. She might escape later to take care of that laundry and check on the animals, but Melog would help, too. She could curl up with her shivering wife for a while before anything became too concerning. She pulled the pushed down comforter up with her foot and tucked it around them both, resting her chin on top of Catraâs head. âIâm sorry youâre sick.â
Catra waffled between curling up or wrapping herself up around Adora. The wrapping up thing ultimately won out, legs tangling up and arms squeezing around her waist. This was medicinal cuddling. She missed Finn next to her but she needed this too, even for a little bit. Warm, soft wife. âIâll be fine,â she laughed, nuzzling up into the underside of her chin. âGive me a day with like two naps and some brain-rotting TV and Iâll be good to go by tomorrow.â
She didnât like being stuck in bed for too long anyway as nice as this all was. Being a sore, useless lump of inconvenience wasnât fun but she knew that line of thinking was tied a lot to how she grew up, and not that she genuinely thought she was an inconvenience to Adora. Sheâd never once made her feel that way.
She and Finn were in the best hands.
In return, Adoraâs arms wrapped snugly around Catraâs back and she let her eyes fall closed, enjoying just the feeling of her wife entangled with her. They were a cuddly pair, so this wasnât unusual, but she still reveled in being able to provide comfort for her. They were cut from the same cloth when it came to these situations â being sick was an aggravation, something out of their control that made them feel completely useless. But theyâd gotten better about accepting comfort and care, at the very least.
âAll of that can be arranged,â she agreed, turning her head down and pressing a delicate kiss to Catraâs lips. âThat and soup. Which Iâll make, I donât think Mom can be trusted with that responsibility.â
Catra would have laughed again at the jab towards Marlenaâs cooking if it werenât for that kiss. âI canât believe it,â she whispered, an arm releasing Adora so her hand could fly into her own chest for the dramatics. âYou kissed me. You have my sick germs now. Youâre so doomed.â
âShhhhh,â was Adoraâs reply, her cheeks turning pink. âI am not. She-Raâs up and running, I have no more fear of your sick germs, Meowmeow.â
Sheâd been paranoid on the first day Finn had started showing symptoms, but she had been quickly convinced there was nothing to worry about. And if there was â well, sheâd deal with it. No way she wasnât taking care of her family because she was afraid of being miserable herself.
Catra was grinning. A miracle considering her body was just mush and her head felt like an anvil, but it was hard not to feel a sense of contentment right now. She even let Meowmeow slide. That was love. âHey, I can take She-Ra,â she teased, choking back a light cough so it wouldnât interrupt how she went to tickle Adoraâs sides. âBet my sick germs can too.â
âTheyâd better not,â Adora giggled, squirming under those claws at her side, smiling wide. âYou remember how whiny and annoying I was when I was sick. You donât want to deal with that again, and neither do I.â
âYou werenât annoying,â Catra countered, rolling on top of Adora maybe too quickly â a dizzy wave hit her, and she awkwardly sat up to cocoon the blanket around her. Her ears were hilariously lopsided as her curls stuck to her face. âYou were stubborn! And tried toââ
She turned her head away for a short cough.
âLeave, like you were some bother,â she scolded, glaring down playfully. âI love whiny Adora. Whiny Adora tells me what she wants.â
âI always tell you what I want,â Adora argued back heatlessly. She couldnât help but smile at the way Catra had wrapped herself up in the blanket. She looked adorable, even with her hair all awry, and the coughing made Adora lift her hands to her warm face again. âAnd what I want right now is for you to let me help you sleep. Youâre sick.â
âBut youâre so pretty, I donât wanna keep my eyes off you,â Catra purred, rubbing her cheeks into her hands. Sleep was the smart move. Her body craved it, and after passing a glance over to Finn to make sure they were okay (they were, sleeping with their little belly out), she slumped back down to lay on Adora. âFinn and I are going to cuddle you so damn hard. Weâre cuddling all day.â
âSounds like the best plan,â Adora hummed. She let her eyes fall closed again, hands shifting to rub similar slow, comforting circles across Catraâs back as sheâd done for Finn before. She kept the healing touch to herself, though, for now. Helping Finn with fussiness was one thing, but she rarely used her magic to help Catra sleep unless she asked â in a lot of ways, it still felt like a newer development.
âYou think we have this back home?â she asked after a moment. âFinn, and a house, and sick days off work?â
This was nice. They never needed an excuse to cuddle â fuck, they did that daily â but something about being on the receiving end of these touches while her body felt gross and vulnerable had her melting. Adoraâs heartbeat was beneath her ear, her warmth all around her, and Catra could just rest without tension.
âMan,â Catra mumbled with her voice all funny from a squished cheek. âThatâs a lot to think about. Yeah? I mean â if Finn happens the way they happened here, thatâd be a surprise. And could you picture us in a house?â
She could, actually. They made Darla into a home, but living on Etheria meant a house down the line. âWeâd be busy traveling for a while,â she added. âBut I love this with you. I wouldnât want any version of me to miss out on it.â
âNeither would I,â Adora murmured, one hand raising to tangle into the ends of her wifeâs thick curls. She didnât let her mind wander; it would be too easy to go down different paths, to wonder about different versions of them that had missed out, and now wasnât the time, if there ever was one.
âI think Finn would have been planned out a little better,â she went on thoughtfully. âMaybe come along a few years later. Iâd like a house, though. I love Darla, but something cozy and all ours⊠sounds nice, too.â
Finn probably would have needed planning. Adora was able to step down at will when it came to certain situations, but She-Ra was needed back home for the whole restoring magic to the universe journey theyâd embark on. Theyâd jump from war to fixing things, and she doubted theyâd have the chance to settle down immediately like they did here.
That was one of the reasons why she preferred Vallo. She had all of Adora immediately. She didnât have to share her with the rest of the universe who needed her help or wanted to simply awe at her existence. They could do whatever. Finn came to them while they were young, but Catra didnât have regrets.
âIâd wanna build something,â she said after a moment, thinking about it. âTo be able to pick and choose what we want is⊠nice. I donât know where. Somewhere private and only like five people would know our address. If we got stalked by your fangirls, Iâd have to fight them.â
âI donât have fangirls,â Adora chuckled in mild protest. She kind of did, unfortunately. Even here, She-Ra had amassed something of a fan club, but the locals here were pretty well-behaved. No one was attempting to stalk them out. The public on Etheria had been good about that, too, during the war. She wasnât sure how well that would hold with any sort of peace settling over them.
âBut I like the idea of building something, too. I guess we donât need to here, we have Darla, but itâs a nice idea. I hope we have the girls, too.â
Catraâs head rose to shoot Adora a look. No fangirls her goddamn ass, but she made a rumbly noise that overall expressed all of that and dropped back down. Her arms went around her possessively. âWeâll never know and donât obsess,â she advised, nuzzling into her breasts because they were there and hers, stupid fangirls. âOnly thing we have control over are our lives here. I love what we have. You and Finn, even if weâre sick â itâs home. Wherever we are is. Could be this ship, could be a house down the road, could be a cave.â
âAny of that except the cave.â Adora kissed the top of Catraâs head and took a slow breath. She was much more content and comfortable here than sheâd intended to be with household chores awaiting her. She had a feeling sheâd be falling asleep right alongside her sick wife and baby in no time flat. Her days were still early, but she was much more apt to grab every chance to sleep she could after Finnâs infant stage.
âYou want me to help you sleep now?â she asked softly. âIâll be right here with you. I promise.â
âMmmm,â was the sound she made first, stretching out a hand from out of their burrito position to reach out to Finn. Her fingers grazed theirs, the tiny baby ones making hers feel so big. The congestion they had was making them snore softly. It was cute, but it made her feel a little sad, too.
Itâd be okay, though. Adora was with them both.
Catra brought her hand back to her wife, eyes slowly falling shut. It smoothed down her sides before tangling herself back into her. âYou can use that trick on me if you want,â she whispered, tail wrapping around her leg for the final touch of proper clinging. A small, lingering kiss was pressed into her chest. âI trust you always. Love you, dummy.â
âI love you too,â Adora murmured. With that said, she slid one hand up across the back of Catraâs head, through her hair, and let the healing power flow through. Maybe it was unnecessary â she had a feeling Catra would have fallen asleep fine regardless â but if any bit of it helped ease the discomfort, she would lend her power anyway. âSweet dreams.â