WHO: Catra & Adora WHAT: Talking and cuddling WHERE: Their apartment at Morningside WHEN: Valentine's Day Night WARNINGS: Super fluff STATUS: Complete
The television was shut off, and one lone lamp in the living room was left on. It was a habit sheâd gotten into lately, though not for herself (flawless night vision, duh) - it was always in case Adora got up in the middle of the night. Last thing Catra wanted was for her to trip over something or clumsily ram into some furniture in pitch black darkness. It was a subtle, loving way of Adora-proofing this home of theirs, as temporary as it was.
Then, quietly, Catra slipped into their bedroom.
Her stomach was in the midst of somersaulting in different directions, making her muscles tense with apprehension. Confessing the flinching thing hadnât been planned. Obviously, it hadnât been intentional - Adora had whacked her head pretty hard - and how she felt about it wasnât anyoneâs problem but her own. That was a fact. She didnât want comfort for that; add it to the list of shit she deserves and call it a day.
But she and Adora had been working on their issues, and that involved a level of communication neither of them were accustomed to. Being on the same page was important. Talking about feelings was, too - as ugly and irrational as they could sometimes be. They were getting better at it at least. The progress hadnât been bad.
Hence why she was here. Slowly, gracefully, she crawled onto the bed, the mattress dipping slightly at her added weight. âHey,â Catra whispered, her tail mostly extended except for the tip. It was curled, meaning she was approachable but also a little uncertain. âMove over.â
âHey.â Adora smiled and did as she was told when Catra slid into bed, shifting back to give her room to settle in. Spirit was sprawled out on his back down by her feet, tiny little snores floating up into their ears. Two walks and hours of playtime and snuggles and every bit of affection Adora could give him had finally worn him down. She wasnât in any hurry to wake him up.
Especially not when she could be paying her girlfriend some much-needed attention. Catra had been very good about sharing her with their new addition, but quality time was overdue.
The room was dim but not completely dark. She was allowed to go about life semi-normally while she recovered from this stupid concussion, but she was required a little extra rest, too. That was where her afternoon nap had come in, why she wasnât supposed to be messing around with screens (she was still working on that one), and why Richie had come over to hang out and entertain her yesterday. She also wasnât supposed to be thinking too much, but â well, this situation kind of called for it.
âCâmere,â she murmured, slipping her arm around Catraâs waist to draw her in closer. âYou deserve kisses and cuddles, too. You were amazing today.â She pressed a kiss into her neck, tangling her fingers in her girlfriendâs shirt.
Instantly, the purrs started. Quiet and soft but present as Adora wrapped her up into her arms, Catraâs back pressed into her chest. Those muscles went slack, and her hands were covered with her own so she could lock their fingers and squeeze.
Weird, how suddenly she felt better.
âYeah?â she chuckled huskily, turning her head to at least meet her for a kiss - had to be something tender and quick at this angle, but she was fucking taking it. âI wanted you to have a good day even if your face is all stitched up and your headâs still wonky.â
Adora loved the sound of Catraâs purrs more than she could describe. It reminded her of home and all the good parts of their childhood. It told her that Catra still felt safe with her, even after everything theyâd been through, and helped ease her to sleep when she was restless. After the murder turkeys, those nights had become more frequent. She wasnât sleeping as deeply as she had been, haunted by nightmares she had mostly avoided up until now.
âI had a great day. How about a repeat tomorrow? I think this apartment can handle one more dog, what about you?â She leaned up a bit on her elbow to steal another kiss, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She was obviously teasing; this place was too small already without adding another pet into the mix.
âYou still need to potty train the first one,â Catra countered with a scoff, rolling her eyes fondly. The adoption event was a success - they had walked out with a fuzzy little companion, one even she liked. Spirit was clumsy and adorable, too willing to give them and everyone he met all his love. And he made Adora happy, so. She was satisfied.
Overall it had been a good day. She felt guilty for having brought some shit up at the end of it.
Adoraâs other hand was still in hers, and her thumb rhythmically grazed over her knuckles. âMm, kiss my neck again and - talk to me?â Catraâs tail went around Adoraâs thigh as she nuzzled her cheek into the pillow. âYou can tell me about your dream but only if you want to. No pressure.â
âMmm, âkay.â Adora settled back down, brushing another line of kisses across Catraâs neck. Now that she knew her dream had caused Catra to worry, she knew it was only right to tell her what it was. She didnât really want to â didnât like thinking about it herself â but communication. It was a constant work-in-progress for them, but they were actively working on it.
âWell, um, I told you when we got to Primeâs ship and I spoke to him that he threatened to use you as his next vessel.â She took a slow breath and pressed another gentle kiss to Catraâs jaw. She tried not to get too emotional, but thinking of what could have been if she hadnât gotten Catra away from Prime overwhelmed her.
âThatâs what I saw in my dream. Iâve seen it a couple times now. This weird you-and-Prime hybrid.â The image was haunting, stuck in her memory even after waking. Catra with her hair cut short and Primeâs scary triple, glowing green eye thing going on. It made her never want to sleep again.
Catraâs eyes fluttered shut as she basked in the attention of her lips but also listened, ears twitching at the sound of her breath and the imagery her words painted. Adoraâs confrontation with Prime felt like this abstract concept she didnât really know how to properly grasp. By now she was privy to a lot of nitty-gritty details - how he puppeted her into fighting Adora, the chip malfunctioning, falling from the platform. Dying.
Having not experienced it (yet) had allowed her to keep an emotional distance - all of it sounded like it sucked but she couldnât really wallow in something she didnât remember going through, right? Except Adora didnât have that luxury. She dealt with it, lived through it and came out not unscathed but with fresh scars of Catraâs doing, and obviously others of the metaphorical kind.
âMâbodyâs too high maintenance for him to use as a vessel,â she softly snorted, releasing her hand so she could reel it back, fingers threading through Adoraâs hair. âHe would never. Heâs just an old, smug bastard that likes to hear himself talk and poke at people where it hurts for a reaction.â
âYeah.â None of that was untrue. Prime was an old, smug bastard, and he definitely liked to hear himself talk and force others to hear him talk, too. But he was also powerful. He was dangerous. And while Adora seriously doubted he ever would have used Catra as a vessel, the thought had burrowed into her subconscious and conjured up a terrifying image of the possibility.
She was quiet for another minute, enjoying Catraâs fingers stroking through her hair. That combined with her reassurances really did help put her mind at ease. But there was still more to discuss. âIâm sorry I flinched. I know youâre not the enemy anymore. It was just, I dunno, a glitch, I guess.â
âNope,â Catra simply said and thatâs when her eyes snapped open. Her body shifted in Adoraâs hold, hand leaving her hair so she could properly twist around and face her for this conversation. That mismatched stare was hard, but not in a cruel way - she was working on squashing that unnecessary apology with her own certainty. âYou donât get to say sorry for literally doing nothing wrong. Itâs - look, itâs okay if a part of you still sees me as an enemy?â
It wasnât ideal but the point was, she understood. All theyâd done for the past three years was fight to the point where it was becoming muscle memory. It had been hard, and nasty, and Catra had been fueled by rage while Adora had driven by duty. Rage, however, encouraged cruelty. There was a lot that sheâd done - and even said - that weighed her down with a guilt she didnât think sheâd ever be able to shake. âShit happens. We knew this wasnât going to be easy all the time, and I never made things easy for you, so.â A sheepish wince. âI can handle a flinch. I just want you to know that if you ever do need space, itâs yours. I understand.â
The best she could say was Iâm sorry, and she had. Those words were nice to hear but meant nothing without action to back them up and, well. Catra was trying.
âYou donât deserve that,â Adora persisted. She rearranged her arms around Catra again and pulled her in closer. She appreciated Catraâs understanding and the clear attempts to keep her from beating herself up, but dwelling was what Adora did. âI know we did a lot of horrible things to each other back home. Maybe weâll never be a hundred percent over it. But you did nothing but help me that day, so Iâm sorry I reacted badly. I get to apologize for that, no arguing.â
Catra bit back a sigh, searching her eyes for any hint of backing down. Predictably, none were found. They could passively argue about it until their faces turned blue and they passed out but that was hardly productive.
So, she relented. âOkay,â Catra breathed as her brows pinched together. Her hand slipped beneath the back of her shirt, skimming their way up Adoraâs taut back. No, arguing would be done when she could just lay with her and enjoy this - the feel of her skin, from every smooth valley to the parts that were marked by her claws. âIâll be nice enough to let you have this one.â
âGood,â Adora hummed, leaning in to seal their lips together while Catraâs fingers moved across her back. She knew this was going to be a process, not something that would be healed overnight, but she was happy with where theyâd landed. They would work out the rest of it as they went, piece by piece, when they felt ready. This last week, theyâd had more than their fair share of drama â mostly because of her own recklessness. She was happy to put it to rest for now.
At her feet, Spirit snuffled and rubbed his little head against her socks. Before she knew it, he was padding up between them, doing his best to squirm between them and get in on the love. Adora looked down at him, taking one hand off Catraâs waist and rubbing his head. âSomeoneâs needy, huh,â she chuckled, rubbing behind his ear.
That kiss, ugh. Catra could have lost herself in it. She could have flattened her palms against Adoraâs lower back, pulled her in closer, let the words I love you fall from her lips like theyâd been begging to do the moment they kiss in that dressing room, but.
Then came that puppy.
âWe were having a moment,â she groaned, though a hand did retract to give the little fluff ball a scritch-scratch right over his tail. âYou already got her all to herself earlier, jerk.â
Heatless words, no worries. By now she knew she couldnât keep Adora to herself all the time. At least she was fond of her competition.
Spirit let out a sweet, sleepy little yip and flopped over onto his side, his head dropping against Catraâs chest and his eyes falling closed. After a moment, he wiggled against her and lifted his paw to ask for more attention. Adora grinned at the sight, reaching down to rub his exposed belly.
âLooks like itâs not just me he wants this time. He likes you.â He was the friendliest little thing Adora had ever seen, and even though sheâd been the one to find him, he had taken right to Catra, too. Honestly, Adora was a little surprised by how well theyâd taken to each other. She knew Catra had only done this for her, so she was glad she actually liked Spirit.
It was important for her to like the little dude, obviously - theyâd all be sharing the same roof after all. A puppyâs happiness was just too contagious, even for someone of her grump calibre. Good thing she was already used to clumsiness and excessive slobber thanks to her girlfriend.
âHeâs cute,â Catra admitted with a wry little smile, curling her arm around him to kind of cradle him like a wittle baby. âDoesnât snore, cuddles even better than you do. At this rate Iâm only dating you for the kissing.â
âHe was snoring when you came in here!â Adora huffed, stroking under Spiritâs chin and pouting exaggeratedly at her girlfriend. She never knew she snored until she got to Vallo. Catra had started teasing her about it, and sheâd refused the claims until she was recorded one night. She didnât think it was bad, but that recording didnât leave her room to argue anymore. âAnd Iâm totally the better cuddler. Iâm bigger than him, I can cuddle all of you. Look how tiny he is.â
âThen he snores in a way that isnât annoying,â was Catraâs counter reply, her grin playfully wicked. This kind of cuddling worked. Ideally sheâd prefer to be the one smooshed up against Adoraâs body and tangled so intricately that it would be a feat to get off the bed. But she was also good with allowing for the presence of a furry creature to get in on it. âAnd honestly, I donât believe you - I want this cuddling demonstration. Gimme.â
âThereâs a puppy obstructing me,â Adora pointed out, taking Spiritâs tiny paw in her hand and stroking his little foot pads. She could, of course, move him, but he was sure to complain. He liked as much attention as he could possibly get, and she didnât have the heart to take that away from him, even if it was only for a few minutes. He looked super comfy all wrapped up in Catraâs arms. âI was just spooning you, thatâs proof!â
That was met with a suspicious squint. âWere you, though? I donât remember,â she ricocheted coyly, tightening her cradling hold on the sleepy puppy. âSpirit doesnât make excuses - he wanted to cuddle me and went for it, even if you were obstructing his path. Isnât that right, buddy?â
Catra dropped a kiss to that black, wet little nose. Spirit stirred into awareness and with hilarious eagerness, licked at her face so abruptly she got a mouthful of dog tongue. It made her sputter and gag. âOh, fuck - gross, nope. I take it all back. Heâs yours, take him.â
Adora didnât try for a second to stifle her laugh at the results of Spiritâs enthusiasm. She gently pried the puppy out of her girlfriendâs arms and kissed the top of his head. âItâs okay, buddy, I like your slobbery kisses.â She tucked him up against her stomach and reached out to draw Catra in closer. âI guess weâre just gonna have to learn to squish all together.â
âI hate sharing,â Catra expressed with an indignant huff, brattiness intensified only for the sake of being a brat. She had plans to snuggle though, clearly, and seemed placated enough to safely and comfortably sandwich their newest roommate. Her tail kept coiled around Adoraâs leg, and she reached over to gently cup her cheek.
Her poor face. Turkey talons were vicious - she had an inkling that the slashes on her face might scar. âYouâre going to have to come up with a cooler story to explain what happened here. Turkeys are too embarrassing, sorry babe.â
Adora smiled, one hand slipping over to grip Catraâs hip when she shifted forward to snuggle in again. She leaned into the touch of her girlfriendâs hand against her cheek and bit back a sigh. âYeah, I know,â she agreed. She still couldnât believe sheâd been taken down by a turkey, not once but several times. It was embarrassing. She was supposed to be stronger than that, tougher than a stupid bird â with or without She-Ra. But she came away from those fights damaged, unable to even heal herself because her alter ego wouldnât surface.
âIf it helps,â Catra purred, thumb grazing gently over the lines of stitching - it seemed to be healing well anyway, and thatâs what was the most important thing. âI dig chicks with scars. They happen to look insanely hot on you.â
Her eyebrows waggled kind of goofily but really, she was serious in that sentiment. If Adora hadnât a clue how attracted Catra was to her period then she was a total idiot. Like, they were girlfriends now. It had to be obvious.
âThen itâs all worth it.â Adora smiled softly, appreciatively. She had plenty of scars littered all over her body. She-Ra wasnât always the instant fix, especially when Adora struggled to bring her out. It was all in the line of duty â and really, this one was, too.
âI would kiss you, but I donât want secondhand dog slobber in my mouth,â she teased, leaning in to kiss her nose instead.
Rude, but also - fair. Catra rolled her eyes and, regretfully, untangled herself from the heap of cuddles between Spirit and Adora. âGonna go brush my teeth, then, because Iâm not letting secondhand dog slobber ruin my right to kiss you before bedtime. I -â There was the rolling of an L there about to come out but what the fuck? No. She had to stop herself because holy shit was that slip up frighteningly easy.
âIâll be back in a minute,â was what she recovered with, giving Adoraâs hip a pat before sliding off the bed. Nope. Was not happening. Not tonight.