Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Catra’s POV

‘Ugh, finally’

   Catra sighed gratefully as the obscenely large building came into view. She stopped at the bottom of the front steps and took a deep breath, bracing herself for the totally unfair and unreasonable amount of stairs. There is a dull ache radiating from her right knee but she ignores it, remembering a time where the pain was much worse. Another deep breath was taken. She ran her right hand through her hair, which was freshly cut and styled by Perfuma; whose shop was thankfully only a block or two away from Brightmoon Public Library. Unsatisfied, she ran both hands through the wolf cut carefully so as to not to get her rings tangled in it.

'Pfft, how embarrassing would that be.'

   “3 more days” she muttered to herself and started making her way to the top. 3 more days and then she’ll be able to grab her baby from the shop. It was a red and black ‘69 Electra Glide, her most prized possession. Part of her wished she had the willpower to get rid of it out of spite for the shitbag who used to own it but how could she deny a vintage Harley? Especially one that still runs like a dream. She simply couldn't.

   Slowly but surely she made it to the top and a manicured hand grasped the handle and pulled open the heavy glass door. Upon entry, she was immediately greeted by the comforting, hard-to-describe smell of aging literature and the voice of that dumb blonde at the front desk. Admittedly, the blonde was gorgeous, smart, and her smile always seemed genuine which Catra found quite odd. Catra didn’t want to like her, didn’t want to get to know her, didn’t even know her name.

(it’s Adora but she planned to continue pretending she didn't know it).

'How can she be so fucking happy all the time? It's infuriating’ (lie #2). Catra thought her smile was beautiful and her laugh gave her butterflies.

   She must’ve been staring because the blonde averted her gaze from the elderly man in front of her and their eyes met across the room. The eye contact was held for far too long and it felt intense. Catra eventually tore her gaze away, and started to walk towards the Cafe on the other side of the lobby. She shook her head slightly as if to rid herself of the gay panic that started to settle in. She didn't like Adora. She couldn't. (Lie #3)

   Standing at the counter with a smirk on his face was her “bestie-for-the-restie” Bow. She would rather attempt to sip a denim jacket through a straw than call him that within earshot of others, but that was what he insisted on calling himself until no other title seemed acceptable.

   His mouth formed a sly grin and she considered walking away. Like, reeeally considered it. There was no way he didn’t see that little exchange: Catra stopped at the door like an idiot and Adora completely ignored the man she was previously helping just to look at her. Of course he was going to make fun of her.

   “Hey Bestie,” He said. Catra didn’t respond at first, expecting more words to follow but that was it. Catra looked at him, not even trying to hide the surprise on her face. He rolled his eyes, “way too tired to for a good ol read, you’re off the hook this time. Plus, it's not as fun if you're expecting it”. It was then that she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion in his body language.

“Damn Bowie, you good? You look like you tried to square up with sleep and lost tragically," She remarked. 

   Tired or not she couldn’t help but poke a little fun at him, that's just how they were with each other. She didn’t get any late night SOS texts from him so she assumed the loss of sleep was an L he took willingly. He let out a laugh, that sounded a bit..delirious and a little too loud for a library but Catra was happy to hear it nonetheless. 

“Tired ain’t even the word,” he said with a smile, as he typed her order on the touch screen pos.

   He grabbed a small paper cup and looked at the clock on the wall, and without saying anything he grabbed another cup. One much much larger than hers, and turned away to get started. She was confused but didn’t question it, assuming he just needed the caffeine. That, or he's expecting a regular. She shrugged internally, deciding she wasn't super commited to finding the answer. As he worked, she thought back to the first time they met; She sure as shit wasn’t looking for a new friend let alone a best friend, but there was just something about him.

*****

   She was tired, pissed, and sore as fuck. That seemed to be a constant recently. She was sitting in the waiting room of the health center on campus with her right leg resting on the small wooden table in front of her. She looked at the clock. It had been about 40 minutes since she finished checking in and she was growing restless. She hates sitting still. She yearned for a bath that was a little too warm, and a joint that was a little too long. It was also freezing in this room. She was slowly growing overstimulated. The AC unit in the corner must have had a loose screw or something because it was making this awful rattling noise. She could hear people talking outside by the window to her right, as well as the occasional air bubble shifting in the water dispenser as it was used periodically. Her clothes suddenly felt too tight. The room became too loud to focus on her thoughts but not loud enough to drown them out completely. Catra entertained the thought of walking out. She shut her eyes and inhaled as much air as possible, then held it, eventually exhaling slowly. 5..4..3

“Carter Prime?”

Fight or Flight said fuck those deep breaths. Catra’s eyes flew open and her heart started racing, panic quickly turning to anger. She looked at the source of the voice and was ready to give them hell. Standing there, shifting awkwardly was a tall, muscular, dark skinned person with flat top haircut and a….crop top? Can doctors wear crop tops? Are they a nurse? Can nurses wear crop tops? They didn’t look much older than her, come to think of it.

Catra decided she didn't care. She hadn't been called that since...

Catra sighed and rose slowly, the desire to absolutely rock their shit nearly vanished, as her knee screamed for respite upon her foot's connection to the floor. She powered through the pain and scowled at the person. She approached them slowly like a cat stalking it's prey

“Deadname me again and I’ll express ship you to the Gods” she said through gritted teeth.

Their eyes widened and a slew of apologies flew out of their mouth. Catra paused briefly and eyed the stranger. Their words were rushed but seemed genuine. They also looked like they’d start sobbing if she didn't stop them so she put her hand up and walked past them. They, thankfully stopped talking. Apologies make Catra wildly uncomfy.

Did she know where she was going? Nope, but she desperately wanted to get to the exam room so she could sit the fuck down. The stranger didn’t exactly need to hustle to catch up to her, in fact they were right next to her in seconds. They seemed like they were about to start apologizing again so she cut them off hoping to ease the tension a bit.

“Didn’t realize nurses were allowed to wear crop tops, isn’t that like…a hazard? ” The stranger chuckled. It seemed to have the effect she hoped for as she saw their shoulders relax in her peripheral.

“Oh, I’m just a receptionist. I call out names, show patients where to go and then sashay on back to my lil chair.” 

Their candor made her smile,

‘This one’s got a lil sweetness to ‘em I see’ she thought to herself.

They chatted a bit, and she soon realized that this person was actually really nice. Sickeningly so. It was mostly small talk but there was a warmth to the stranger, a sense of kindness she didn’t know what to do with. The walk to the exam room wasn’t long but she wasn’t exactly walking at her normal speed. She was still in tremendous amounts of pain but the stranger seemed happy to move at her pace. The duo finally reach room 3 and the stranger let her know the doctor will be in to see her shortly. They were just about to shut the door before she stopped them. Her eyes did not meet theirs. She suddenly felt small under their gaze.

“Hey before you go, can I see that chart?”

She gestured to the clipboard in their hands. They hand it to her wordlessly and she grimaced slightly at her deadname printed at the top.

“You got a pen on you?” The stranger hesitated briefly, confusion in their eyes. They then smiled, seemingly picking up on what she planned to do.

“Red or Black?”  They ask.

“Hm…Black” It seemed like the better choice for what she planned to do. The stranger reached into their pocket and handed over a black ball point pen. They watched her scribble away until she was satisfied. She then handed the clipboard back to them and they looked over the chart.

Carter Prime Catalina "Catra" Howard

“What a beautiful name! I’ll make copies of these and replace the old ones. I'll make sure you never have to see or hear your deadname again” There was a look of pure determination on their face. The words were said like a promise which made her blush slightly.

'They would do that? For me? I don’t even know their name. Play it cool, Catra. Say something funny.' 

“My hero” She said with a smirk and it was their turn to blush. 

“Y-You’d think that with all the queer staff employed here, we’d be better at checking for name change documents or asking for pronouns and shit” She agreed with them on that one, but she noticed the disappointment in their tone

“Well, now you know you need to work on it” She cringed inwardly hoping that didn’t come off as rude. She was a bit worried she made them feel worse than they seem to already do.

“You’re right. May I ask what your pronouns are?” 

“She most days, They some days” She shrugged and they nodded with a grin

“Gender is a social construct” They said in unison.

Catra chuckled softly and the stranger seemed to look at her with an expression that seemed reserved for old friends. She can’t remember the last time someone looked at her like that, it caused her heart to race.

“Oh! I never introduced myself. My name is Bowman Wright, but my friend’s call me Bow. I predominantly use He/Him pronouns but can get down with any” Bowman spoke with a smile and ended his sentence with a wink.

'Hate to admit it but he seems pretty damn cool and he can handle a little bit of banter. Bonus points.'

“Bowman…I like it.” It honestly was a wonder that the pair's cheeks didn’t hurt from all of the godsdamn smiling. It seemed like they both forgot where they were. “Don’t you have to hurry back to your lil chair?” She shook her head fondly as his eyes widened. He definitely forgot he was at work

“Oop you right” and with that the man scurried off. Hmm maybe coming to the health center won’t be too bad if she got to kiki with Bowman, but, there was a tiny voice in the back of her head telling her he’d leave her eventually.

*******

Bow's hand slammed on the counter, seeming to decide that she has zoned out for far too long. Catra nearly jumped three feet in the air.

“What the actual FUCK Bowie?” He was doing a terrible job of hiding his shit-eating grin.

“Listen hun, as pretty as your face is I don’t feel like staring at it all day”

“Hun? Okay DT” Bow gasped, dramatically putting a hand to his chest

“DT could never pull off an off the shoulder crop-top like me”

“Sure couldn’t” She agreed wholeheartedly.

“Period. Now, for the last time: Your total is 15.97” Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline

“Like hell it is!?” Catra’s eyes looked down at the tender and then back at Bow.

“One flat white with oat milk and brown sugar for you as usual and one extra large Guatemalan roast iced coffee with a coconut flavor shot, blueberry flavor shot, and an espresso shot with almond milk.” The smile on his face looked down right nefarious. Neither of them would ever dream of ordering a coffee with all that bullshit in it; she liked to keep it simple and he hates coconut.

“For who?!” The look on his face was unchanging.

'WHY IS HE LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.’

“So you don’t want to surprise Adora with her usual? Okay suit yourself, guess you actually don’t want anything to do with the hot blonde who's been checking you out every Tuesday and Thursday for the past 6 months and the staring contest yall had just now was not because your brains’ short circuited when you locked eyes. My mistake” He raised his hand and tapped the screen a couple times. The bizarre, ginormous and outrageously priced drink disappeared. Catra stood there, her brow furrowed and her lip tucked between her teeth.

“I-” Catra’s gaze flicked between the two drinks rapidly, her mind racing.

“What if she thinks it's weird? I barely even talk to her and when I do I’m not exactly polite.” Excuses flowed out of her mouth but it was true. She wasn’t the nicest to Adora but she had her reasons. Adora is too good for her, i-it wouldn’t work. Once Adora got to know her she’d run for the hills.

“Okay pump the brakes, and breathe Lina.” He said calmly. 

Catra desperately pulled air into her lungs and held it. 5..4..3..2..1

“Perfect. Now. No, she won’t think it's weird and for whatever reason she doesn’t mind the absolute READ you give her from time to time. This is what you’re gonna do: you’re gonna pay for the outrageous total for your coffee and her abomination, take the cup over to her and wink or something. Then hop in the elevator and lock yourself in your usual study room. Easy-Peasy."

Catra doesn’t know what her face looks like but her lip is damn near about to bleed. She has made it a point to keep the blonde at arm's length. She only recently told her her name and it was an accident. She stays away from the good ones. Bow forced his way into her life and made her make a stupid promise so he’s here to stay, but that doesn’t mean that a teeny-tiny part of her doesn’t still think he’ll leave eventually. She’s spiraling, she knows she is.

'Snap out of it Catra.' She chastised herself internally.

“Catra. Look at me.” It took her a minute but she eventually met his eyes.

“Take another deep breath and flip the switch.” Catra closed her eyes. 5..4..3..2..1. She rolled the tension out of her shoulders, her entire demeanor changing upon hearing those magic words. She reached into her pocket and took a 20 out of her wallet.

“Say less”

Bow fist bumped the air and whispered a “Yesss”, she couldn’t help but laugh. He put the change in the tip jar as per usual. She went to grab the cups but he stopped her.

“Wait! I have an idea.” He pulled a marker out of his apron and started scribbling on Adora’s cup

‘Took you too long. 843-799-8922, Catra’

“Not bad Bowie” She said, nodding at him approvingly.

“If you don’t make me your best man I will scream ‘I object’ from the pews. His expression was serious but there was mirth in his eyes which told her that he was only kidding. Kind of.

“Noted” She shook out her hands, grabbed the cups and spun around. The movement hurt but she pushed through and started walking towards the blonde. Her body language exuded confidence which was a drastic change from when the blonde was first brought up.

‘Full fucking send I guess.’

Chapter Text

Earlier that morning

Adora’s POV.

  It’s Thursday, or as Glimmer called it: Catra Day. Adora rolled her eyes at the thought. Catra came into the library every Tuesday and Thursday at noon. Her motorcycle was usually heard outside the building around 11:45 am. Adora probably shouldn’t be paying that close attention to a stranger but she couldn’t help it. Does she really consider Catra a stranger? There was just something about her that took Adora’s breath away. She was strong-willed, mysterious, smart, and drop dead gorgeous. Her voice was raspy; orotund when necessary and silvery when she wanted it to be. Adora hung onto her words every time she spoke, even when those words weren’t the nicest.

***

  “Rise and Shine little league I have places to be and your goofy ass is sleeping on the job” Adora startled, she didn’t actually fall asleep did she? Fuck.

‘Wait, did they just call me little league?’

  She looked up at the stranger and immediately felt the wind get knocked out of her chest. They were gorgeous. They were wearing a dark teal colored bomber jacket over a burgundy tank top, and dark brown colored jeans. She had never seen those colors put together but on them, they looked beautiful. The stranger also had the prettiest eyes Adora had ever seen, one was a goldish amber color and the other was a wonderful shade of blue.

 ‘SNAP OUT OF IT ADORA’

  “I’m sorry did you just call me little league?” The stranger smirked, and gestured to her outfit. 

“It’s giving, hand me downs from your older brother’s sports days.” Adora’s cheeks burned, she didn't have a brother. The white converse, blue and white quarter-sleeve baseball tee and jeans combo came straight from her own closet. She wanted to speak, wanted to defend herself, wanted to join in on the (hopefully) playful banter but couldn't; so she continued to sit there with her eyebrows raised and mouth slightly ajar.

“It’s giving, part time coach, full time idiot”

Adora was at a loss for words. She opened and closed her mouth a couple times hoping a sentence would find its way out, but it didn't. There was a part of her that wanted them to keep going, they could say whatever they damn well pleased as long as they kept talking. She needed to unpack that but now is not the time. The stranger did nothing to hide their amusement, and Adora discovered she didn't want them to.

‘You just gonna sit there Greyskull?’ Adora struggled, internally debating on which approach to use. She needed to say SOMETHING. She eventually decided it would be better to go with a light-hearted and flirty approach than an angry/intimidating one. Not that she could intimidate this being that was obviously heaven sent. 

“Tell me, is your little team outside waiting for you to stop cosplaying sleepy librarian?” The stranger cooed.

“No, they’re actually resting up for an away game this weekend. Now if you’re finished, I’ll get you checked out” She said with a smirk, gesturing towards the books that were laid on the counter. Thank the Gods she finally had the courage to say something. She just hoped it was well received. 

(It was, but she won't figure that out till later)

***

  “You ready to go?” Glimmer’s voice startled her out of her Catra spiral. Adora looked at herself in the mirror for the…fourth time? Fifth time? She lost count. She was wearing a pair of black track pants with red stripes on the side, a white t-shirt that was almost too tight, with a red and black slightly-oversized coach jacket and white sneakers. The outfit was pretty simple, cute but comfortable and within the dress code as long as she zipped up “modestly”.

  “Yeah, I think so.” She said, but she felt like something was missing and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Glimmer must have thought so too because she had her ‘thinking face’ on as her eyes scanned the red and black ensemble. Glimmer left her spot by the door and walked over to the vanity she insisted Adora needed when they moved in. She opened the jewelry box and pulled out the gold tennis necklace Razz gave Adora for her birthday a couple years ago. Without words, Glimmer walked up to Adora and stood behind her. Adora hesitated for a moment, then pulled her hair away from her neck. Glimmer cleared her throat and Adora suddenly remembered that Glimmer was only about 5’4 while Adora was standing at 6’1. Adora giggled and then got down on her knees.

  “I’m not that short, asshole” Glimmer grumbled as she fastened the necklace around her neck. “Now let’s go so I can go back to sleep.” The shorter woman turned and left the room to grab her car keys. Glimmer was always grumpy at this hour. It was 6:30 am on a Thursday so who could really blame her. Adora took one last look at herself in the mirror and had to admit she looked pretty good. She took a moment to run her fingers over the necklace, it was a seemingly basic gold necklace with a small sword charm. The charm depicted two swords, one on each side. The swords were different but complemented each other well, as if they were different versions of the same sword. Razz said it was a gift of honor. She didn't understand what it was for the honor of but she was thankful nonetheless.

  “ADORAAAA” Glimmer’s patience seemed to be wearing thin. Adora grabbed her backpack, her keys, an emergency hair tie, and rushed out of her room. 3 more days and she’ll be able to grab her car from the shop. The vehicle wasn’t in bad shape, just like the 10th car in line for repairs. Scorpia and her team worked quickly just not that quickly. Adora hustled down the steps and was soon out the front door. 

  The ride to the library was short, only about 10 minutes long. Adora spent about 8 of those minutes staring out the window, thinking of a certain pair of heterochromatic eyes. 

  “Hey” Once again Glimmer’s voice crept into her daydream, disrupting it completely. Adora turned towards her and blinked. 

  “Hm?’

  “Have you considered, you know, just asking for her number?” 

  ‘Was it so obvious that she was thinking about Catra?’ Of course she’s thought about it. She has been consumed by the thought for months! But, she wasn’t blind. Reservation hung in the air every time they spoke, lodging itself comfortably in the space between. Every step forward resulted in five steps back. Every laugh was followed by a cold shoulder. Every smile turned to a frown. Catra insisted on pushing her away and it didn't take long to realize that Catra’s penchant for insults and abrasive language came from a need to protect herself. You can't be hurt by someone who can't get close to you. Adora felt this indescribable desire to be the one to protect her, but she knew for damn sure that the last thing Catra wanted was a savior. 

  “Yeah. I have. I just-” She ran a hand through her hair. Unsure how to properly explain her thought process.

  “I don’t know if she wants me to. I don’t even know if she's into me. Catra makes me feel so many things, to the point where I can't think straight when I'm around her. I’m terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing so I find myself just…waiting.” She said with a shrug. 

  “From what you’ve told me Catra is….guarded. She puts on this confident, nonchalant facade to deter people from getting too close to her. You’re waiting for her to make a move because if you give her control of the situation, and she chooses to pursue you, it’ll mean that she actually wants you.” Adora looked at her friend and smiled. She’ll never get over Glimmer’s ability to understand her.

  “Yeah. That about sums it up.” Adora glanced out of the window and realized they were parked in front of the library. She must have spaced out hard before Glimmer spoke because she doesn't remember arriving. She took her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. It was 6:45 am, meaning she had just over an hour to open. She took off her seatbelt and put her backpack over her shoulders,

  “I should head in, see you later Glim.” 

  “Have a good day.” 

  The pair leaned over the center console, joining for a quick hug whilst saying their goodbyes and Adora made her departure. She tightened the straps on her bag and jogged up the stairs. She stopped at the top for a moment to catch her breath and pulled the keys to the building out of her jacket pocket. She pulled the large glass door open with ease and was welcomed by the unmistakable scent of seasoned pages resting on vast shelves crafted from pine and mahogany. The Brightmoon Public Library housed books of all kinds. She truly believed there was something here for everyone. 

****

  “Hey Coach, time to prove you're not just here for show” 

  ‘Coach?’ Adora rolled her eyes at the nickname and looked up, hoping that her mind was not playing tricks and that Catra was indeed standing in front of her. She couldn’t help but wonder if Catra was truly just teasing or if they genuinely did not believe she worked here. 

  “What can I do for you, Catra?” Truth is, she’d do a whole fucking lot for the wonder standing before her and it was present in her tone. Catra’s eyebrows rose slightly but they seemed otherwise unshaken by the hint of suggestiveness that could be found woven in the words.

 “You can point me to the Philosophy section.” Adora nodded and stood.

  “Follow me.” Catra scoffed and crossed their arms. 

  “I said point dummy, I don’t need an escort.” Adora chuckled softly and made her way around to the front of the desk.

  “I could use the extra steps.” She raised each leg in a marching motion and walked past the brunette. She could have sworn she heard Catra stifle a laugh and mutter the word ‘dork’ under their breath.

***

  Adora took her time going through her opening routine. Despite the larger-than-you'd-think checklist of tasks, she knew that she worked efficiently enough to avoid being in a time crunch. She soon finished her duties and decided to walk a couple laps around the building, lingering slightly in the Philosophy section. She didn’t understand the appeal of questioning everything you’ve ever known but she had respect for those who did; she’d let one person in particular share every bit of knowledge she had on the topic if she wanted to. 

  Adora made her way back to the front desk and glanced at the clock on the wall by the cafe. It was 7:30 am which meant Bow would be here soon to open up the small cafe. She decided to sit at her desk and chill until he arrived. As one of the few who had a key to the building, she had to unlock the door to let him in. She was honestly looking forward to having another person in the building. Adora doesn’t know if she can really refer to him as a friend but he was kind and easy to talk to. He also just so happened to be best friends with Catra. 

  ‘Her…what did he call it? Bestie for the restie?’ 

  She giggled at the thought of stone-cold Catra calling him that. The duo seemed like an odd pair, one you wouldn’t think to put together, but were clearly super close. Catra always stopped by the cafe to see him when she came in and he always seemed to brighten in her presence. She knew the feeling well.

‘Tap. Tap. Tap.’ 

  Adora looked up to see Bow standing at the door and got up to let him in. They chatted, but briefly, as Adora noticed the fatigue in his eyes and didn’t want to overwhelm him with what Glimmer called her “propensity to yap.” 

  With a wave the pair split in the foyer and Adora made her way to her desk to boot up the old bulky desktop she needed for catalog searches. The desktop was going to take most of the 30 minutes she had left till open to boot up so she decided to grab her notebook from her bag and draw for a bit. It was a recent addition to her small list of hobbies. Between work, grad school, and the actual little league coaching she did on the side, there wasn't much space left on her schedule to fully commit to crafting a full piece, but she fit a quick sketch in whenever she could. 

  Recently, she's been sketching things from her dreams. Mostly small figures and symbols, sometimes fictional planets and funky ancient text. Whatever stuck out to her mostly. She'd take the random science-y space stuff over her usual nightmares any day. She flipped past a couple of her drawings from last week; a planet surrounded by 12 moons, a set of stones that each seemed to belong to a different element, and a flashy bird horse thing. Once she found a clean page she drew one vertical line and a horizontal line through it. In the top left corner she started to draw the outline of an M shaped mask. The arches of the M were curved and the bottoms were a bit pointy. After doing a bit of quick shading, she moved to the bottom right quadrant. In it she drew a…rhimbus? Roombos? Whatever the hell you call it, (rhombus) surrounded by what looked like a pair of wings. The ‘5 minute warning’ alarm on her phone went off as soon as she finished filling the sketch in. She sat back and took a minute to look at the drawings. There was something about the mask that piqued her interest, she didn't spend too much time thinking of the dreams or her drawings but something about it felt…familiar? Shaking the thought out of her head she rose from her chair and walked towards the door. Without another glance at the clock, Adora opened the doors exactly at 8:00 am. Truthfully, Adora expected business to be slow. Not that libraries are businesses, she just didn't expect a lot of people to come in today. 

  Low and behold she was right, it was now 11:00 am and there were less than 10 people in the building. Including her and Bow. She wasn't exactly tired but as time crawled by she found herself yawning occasionally. Deciding she had been stationary for too long, Adora grabbed her reusable water bottle and made her way to the furthest water fountain she could think of. It was the fountain on the third floor, across from the study rooms. On her journey, she stopped by the second room in the row of three and walked in. The study rooms were supposed to stay locked, and only be unlocked by the librarian on duty after the name and phone number of the patron was put on record. Adora realized about a month or two ago that the only person who actually used a study room was Catra. Funny enough that's how she learned her name. Adora eventually started unlocking the one room during her opening routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays and made sure to lock it before she left for the day. 

  The room wasn't big but it was not exactly small either. It had enough space for an oblong table, a few wooden chairs, and a dry erase board. If it weren't for the faint scent of cologne that lingered in the air, she wouldn't have believed the room had a habitual occupant. Adora knew better than to linger. For one, it was a little weird and two, she was on the clock and didn't want to be away from the desk too long. She took a deep breath, hoping the aroma would cling to the inside of her nostrils, and exited the room. She walked towards the water fountain and steeled herself while the water slowly filled the metal canister.

  “Gods Catra, you have no idea what you do to me” She muttered under her breath. She'd have to find the most mind numbing task she could, to smother the small forest fire in her stomach. 

  Shortly after her return to her desk, she was approached by an old man with a list in his hand. He seemed confused and a tad frustrated but not unkind,

  “Can you help me?” He gestured to the list and shrugged his shoulders,

  “My wife gave me a list of books to check out and I have no idea where to find them. I think it's some kind of husband test or someth-” The man started to ramble a bit but Adora did her best to give him her full attention. That was until she felt a pair of eyes bring goosebumps to her skin. She couldn’t help but give in to their enchantment and her attention wavered. 

‘Catra.’

  Their eyes met and a staring contest began, Adora wanted to win but she also didn't want to blatantly ignore the man for too long. Thankfully, Catra was the first one to blink and look away. Adora kept her eyes on her just a bit longer and saw her shake her head slightly. 

  ‘HA I won!’ She celebrated her victory in her head and finally turned her attention back to the geriatric gentleman in front of her. 

 “We can start our search by looking up the titles in the library’s online catalog, it'll tell us if we have the specific titles you're looking for.” She offered,

 “Okay. If you do have the ones I'm looking for, just tell me where to go and I'll find them.” Adora was a little shocked by his words. She didn't mind showing him where to go. She hoped she didn't upset the man. 

  “I can show you where they are if you'd like?”

  “Oh no that's okay, I’ll manage. Plus, I'm sure you want to talk to your girlfriend.” The comment caught the blonde all the way off guard. Who?! Catra??

  “Oh that's not… she's not my girlfriend.” She clarified. The man raised an eyebrow, his facial expression read ‘bullshit.’

  “Ah I see. If you want to change that, you should.”  

  Adora wanted to tell him that he was mistaken, but something told her he'd know she was lying and she wasn't going to start arguing with a stranger about her love life. 

  “Easier said than done. May I see that list you brought with you.” She politely ended that conversation and began searching the titles he was on the hunt for. She wrote down the location and shelf number next to each name and wished the man luck on his journey.

  Adora put her elbows on the desk and rested her forehead on her palms. She chuckled incredulously, ‘What the actual fuck was that?’ She didn't think her yearning was so obvious but, if an 85 year old man she's never seen in her life, picked up on it, she needed to get it the fuck together. The blonde took a deep breath and the scent that ambushed her nose made her sit up straight.

  “Hey, Adora.” She felt herself blush from the tips of her ears to well under her collarbone. That was the first time she heard Catra say her name. Not Little League, not Coach, not Dummy, Adora. She couldn't contain the smile that grew on her face. 

  “Here.” It was then that Adora noticed the drinks in Catra’s hands, a large iced coffee that looked a lot like her usual was held up in front of her. 

  “Thanks Catra.” She took the drink from her and shivered ever so slightly when their fingertips touched. There was an expression in Catra’s eyes that she had never seen before. 

  “Don't mention it, Princess” With that, she walked away. 

  A quiet ‘fuck’ escaped her lips as she watched her make her way towards the elevator. Sure, they did the tiniest bit of flirting from time to time but, Princess was new. The blonde was staring and she knew Catra could tell because as the elevator doors closed she winked. Adora slumped back in her chair and looked at the coffee sitting on the desk. She saw some scribbles peeking out from the other side of the cup, and spun it around out of curiosity. Her heartbeat quickened as she read the words in front of her,

  ‘Took you too long. 843-799-8922, Catra’

  “No fucking way.” 

Chapter Text

Catra

Later that day...

 As the door to the study room closed behind her, Catra finally released the breath she was holding. As she exhaled, her confident exterior fell away and left a nervous wreck in it's wake. She shrugged her backpack off of her shoulders and dragged her feet to the closest chair. 

"What am I doing?" She whispered. 

There were many things racing around her mind, numerous streams of consciousness all pointing back to the blonde downstairs. The desire to pick through and sort out all of these thoughts was strong, but the anxiety worming it's way into her chest was stronger. She just gave her crush her number and now she's sitting here spiraling. What a joke. With shaky hands, Catra took out her phone and sent an 'SOS:Panic' text to Bow. Afterwards, she put her hands on the top of her head and closed her eyes. Desperately trying to slow her breathing. In the back of her mind she heard a voice she hadn't heard in years.

"Anyone who chooses to be burdened by feelings, chooses to be weak. You must cast out the shadows." 

'Casting out the shadows' was this weird freaky ritual her "father" would do whenever Catra acted out or wasn’t the perfect, uniformed, clean-cut clone he wanted her to be. He would tell her that she needed to be cleansed so that she could step into his "light". He would take her to the basement and dunk her into an old rusty basin full of thick, lukewarm liquid and chant some religious bullshit. It was a cleansing ritual of sorts. Her father acted as if emotions like love and desire were beneath him, and he was sure to remind her just how foolish she was being whenever he felt she was "distracted." Was he right? Is she weak for crumbling at the idea of loving this person? Is she distracted? When Catra thinks of Adora she is filled with admiration but also feels a deep, bone-chilling sadness. For as much as she yearns for Adora, the thought of her shouldering any amount of her baggage is unthinkable. You don't do that to the people you care about right? Burden them with your bullshit? No, something is wrong if Prime is making sense. Her thoughts were running together and making a mess of her mind. She was overwhelmed and confused. She wants to be with Adora. She just doesn't deserve to.

There was a soft knock on the door and before she could clear her throat to give permission to enter, Bow was shutting the door behind him.

"Close or far?" He asked. She opened her eyes but couldn't see him through the unshed tears. She swallowed thickly.

"Close." Upon hearing her response he moved towards her and pulled up a chair, close enough for their knees to touch. Bow has been present for many of her panic attacks. When the first one happened he hugged her when she wasn’t ready for contact and she snapped at him so after some apologies and a long conversation, they developed a system to determine what kind of support she needs in the moment. Sometimes she needs a really tight hug and sometimes she just needs him in the room with her, so he makes sure to ask. The memories of her father had her a bit wary of being touched but the feeling of Bow's knee was just enough to ground her. She heard him taking rather loud deep breaths and took the cue to try and breathe with him. He doesn't rush her to speak even as her breathing evens out. After what felt like 30 minutes but was actually closer to 5, she spoke.

"I want to talk about it but I genuinely don't know where to start." She could feel his eyes on her but couldn't meet them. She was worried the tenderness in them would make it harder to speak without sobbing. 

"Is it about Adora? I didn't mean to pressure you into giving her your number if you weren't ready." Classic Bowman Wright. Apologizing for shit he shouldn't be. She shook her head.

"I could have said no. I didn't because I want her to have my number." 

"So, you realized that giving her your number meant that she'd actually have you number." Truthfully, that shouldn't have made sense but it did. 

"Now she can text me and I hope she does but that means being open to being texted." She isn't the most eloquent person, she knows this but she hoped the 2 years of friendship would come in clutch and fill in any gaps.

"I think I understand what you mean, but can you tell me more?" She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly through her nose to clear her mind. She opened her eyes as she exhaled and met his eyes. It made him smile softly. 

"Adora is amazing. She's a giant dork but she's gorgeous and full of light. She's kind to everyone and seems so pure and normal. The complete opposite of me." Judging by the look on his face, Bow did not agree with the last part but let her continue.

"You’re always reminding me of my progress and I'll admit I'm in a better place than I was before but she deserves perfect. She's a goddess and I'm a wild animal. I think the world of her, I don't see her as just some dumb blonde, I never have. I just talk shit because deep down I'm scared. I'm scared that I'll let her down. I'm scared that I won't be able to give her what she needs. That on a bad pain day I'll lash out and say something that hurts her or that I'll get overwhelmed and run even though I may not want to. I'm scared that she'll put all this work into being there for me and I won't be able to do the same because of the shit going on in my head." Her breathing was slightly labored and her hands were shaking. She watched Bow absorb her words, he was quiet and calm. A large contrast to her state. He shifted his chair and prompted her to do the same so they were facing each other. He reached out with both hands and she grabbed them. 

"Thank you for sharing that with me Lina." She squeezed his hands in response.

"You're worried because hurt people, hurt people. You feel like the pain you experience, and have experienced in the past, will stop you from being able to love Adora the way you feel she deserves to be. Makes sense you feel that way, you don't know what it feels like to be loved by you so its easy to say it won't be enough" He shrugged as the words flowed so matter of factly, like it was a no brainer.

"Your love isn’t like anything I've ever experienced. It's intense and sometimes I feel like I don't deserve i-" 

"Be so fucking for real, Bowie. Loving you is like breathing air." 

"Not you interrupting me and furthering my point" His words were just as quick as her interruption. 

"Your love for me is easy and unwavering, as is mine for you, believe it or not. We've shown up for each other on our worst days because of that love, its damn near second nature to be there for one another because we're lead to act by that love. Do you genuinely think, your mind would successfully stop you from trying to act on love when it comes to Adora? Because it hasn't with me. You couldn't not support me if you tried, stink." The nickname made her giggle and she relaxed the more he spoke.

"You seem to think that you leave a bad mark on people, that you're like a ring of condensation on a shiny table or a coffee stain on a white tee. When in actuality, you're an accidental extra drop of forest green in the most vibrant shade of yellow." A tear slid down her cheek. She never would have compared herself to such a beautiful color but she understood what he meant.

"Loving you and being loved by you is a pleasure. It'd be a shame if you robbed Adora of a chance to experience that instead of letting her decide what she wants." He was right. Choosing for her would be unfair. Easier but unfair. The sound of her phone vibrating on the table broke the silence. She dropped Bow's hands after giving them a quick squeeze and picked up her phone. It was a text from an unsaved number. Two texts actually.

Coach 🧢: Hey, Catra! It's Adora

Coach 🧢: Sorry for not asking for your number sooner. I've been dying to but I coach part time and have seen my fair share of missed shots. Didn't want to add to that list lol

Me: Hey Coach. Feel free to take another shot 😌 

Coach 🧢: Would you like to grab dinner with me tn? 

Me: I'd love to  

Coach 🧢: Heck yeah, its a date. pick you up at 8? 

Me: Sure dork, where you wanna eat?

Coach 🧢: You pick, I'm buying. Consider it a thank you for the coffee 😊

Me: Sure thing princess, any food allergies?

Coach 🧢: Nope. I'll eat whatever

Coach 🧢: Thank you for asking!

Me: txt me when you get off work and I'll send the addy 

Coach 🧢: Oki doki

"Well guess who's got a date tonight?" Bow who was watching her grin at her phone like at idiot, reached out excitedly to dap her up.

"LETS GOO!" They celebrated like one of them scored a game winning half court shot in a high stakes tournament. Catra’s phone vibrated again.

Coach 🧢: I can hear yall from down here lol. All that cheering for little ol me?

Me: When a hot librarian asks you out, you celebrate 🍾 😏 

"Damn she got you using emojis already?" Bow somehow made it behind her and managed to read a few messages over her shoulders.

"You in my business? Don't do that." She pushed him away but all it did was make him laugh. A vibration from his pocket distracted him briefly and a smirk broke out his face.

"What?" She asked

"Daddy Adora says I can go home."

"Ew Bowie shut the fuck up. Don't call her that."

"It's you blushing" They duo erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up" Catra shoved a hand in his face and moved to grab her stuff. 

"Didn't peg you for the daddy kink type Lina. Guess you really learn new things everyday."

"OH MY GOD SHUT UP" She whisper yelled as she brushed past him and opened the door. They continued to play fight and argue the whole elevator ride down. As they walked past the front desk Catra gave Adora a genuine smile and a small wave. While Bow's obnoxious ass waved wildly and called out.

"Bye Da-" Catra leaped onto his back and covered his mouth. The rest of his sentence was barely contained by Catra’s fingers.

"Outside. Now" She growled. She didn’t make any moves to unwrap herself from her best friend and only removed her hand after she heard the front door shut behind them. Bow stopped at the top of the steps,

"You're not getting down are you?" 

"Nope. As punishment for your asshat-ery you must carry me to your car and take me home."

"Ugh fine." He rolled his eyes like he wasn't planning on taking her home anyway.

"Let's go get you ready for pasta and lobster." She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She is gonna be herself, which is terrifying but she's tired of pretending to be nonchalant and uninterested. She is very interested and can only hope Adora is too.

Chapter Text

Adora 

Same day

A smile was plastered and cemented on Adora's face.

"She thinks I'm hot?" She whispered to herself. She knew she was pretty and didn't exactly cram a workout in every day just because it was a healthy practice, but the title of 'hot' was reserved for other people. People....'like Catra' her mind offered and she was quick to agree. She still couldn't believe someone like Catra would ever give her the time of day. When they first met, Catra was cold and aloof. She kept her distance and when they did interact Catra insisted on maintaining that distance. Adora did what she could to make Catra laugh or smile but didn't do much more. She assumed Catra didn't want more from her. She was happy to learn that she might be wrong. Honestly, If Catra didn't volunteer her number, Adora probably wouldn't have asked. She was terrified of being presumptuous. That said, Adora made a promise to herself after her conversation with Glimmer; That if Catra ever gave her the chance to, she'd be by her side as long as she was allowed. She'd be there for her in any way she needed. She wasn't quite sure how to show Catra that though and she couldn't just tell her, right?

The elevator chimed, signaling its arrival to the ground floor and out stumbled Bow and Catra. Bow's hair was ruffled and Catra's backpack was barely on her shoulders. The ever-present smile on Adora's face grew. When Bow ran up to her earlier and said he had to step away from the cafe for an "unknown amount of time" to "save the cat" she was concerned, but, the duo seemed to be in better spirits. She didn't need to know what happened and she wouldn't ask. She was just happy to see them happy. Catra's eyes met hers and the former gave her the most beautiful smile Adora had ever seen and a small wave. Catra had never smiled at her like that before and Adora could have sworn there were butterflies going to war in her stomach. Bow turned towards Adora and shouted,

"Bye Da-" Adora's eyebrows shot up to her forehead as Catra leaped onto him and desperately tried to keep the rest of his sentence from leaving his mouth, but the familiar cadence of her name plus Catra's reaction gave away what was said. Her cheeks turned crimson and her brain turned to static. She saw Catra say someting through gritted teeth and with that the duo walked out of the door. Adora was flustered to say the least, Glimmer has definitely jokingly called Adora 'Daddy' before, funny enough, she has started to say it more now that they are no longer together. But, it felt different coming from Bow and she knows it has everything to do with Catra. He seemed to have said it to fluster her which led Adora to wonder if that was something she was into. Definitely not appropriate thoughts for her current setting, but she was upstairs clutching her pearls hours before over less so she allowed herself to be intrigued. Moments later, Adora took out her phone.

Me: Did Bow just call me Daddy?

Catra🤭: Uh....no.

Catra🤭: U sure you didn't just hear what you wanted to hear?

Me: If that were the case, I would have heard it from you

Adora watched the typing icon pop up and disappear a couple time before Catra finally decided on a response. She was a little nervous, as it can be hard to read someone's tone through text but was eased by the response she received.

Catra🤭: Shut up, dummy 🙈

Some wouldn't think of 'dummy' as the most...affectionate nickname but Catra has given the word a new meaning over these past couple months. Adora was usually called a dummy or an idiot on the rare occasion she flustered Catra or, well, was just being dumb. So, she considered this a win. 

Me: As you wish 😌

The pain in her cheeks finally got to her and Adora was forced to put her phone down. She brought her attention back to her computer and settled in to focus on the rest of her tasks for the day. Occasionally giving in to the urge to smile again at the Catra-colored thoughts swirling through her brain.

When Glimmer showed up in the evening to pick Adora up she immediately picked up on Adora's excitement. 

"Okay. Spill." She demanded. Adora thought about attempting to play it cool but remembered just how awkward she could be when she tried to act.

"I have a date tonight -"

"OH MY GODS ADORAAAA." 

"Why are you so excited? I didn't even tell you who it's with."

"Adora. If it's with anyone other than Catra, you'll have a lot of explaining to do." She said as she put the car in gear.

"Okay, yeah, that's fair. To be completely honest, I couldn't imagine going on a date with anyone other than Catra. I don't think I'd even want to." Adora chuckled softly but it was cut off by a burst of nervousness that shot down Adora's spine, swirling around her tailbone, causing her to shift uncomfortably. If Glimmer noticed the sudden change in her demeanor, she didn't mention it and continued to drive. Adora's thoughts had laced up their running shoes and were off to the races. It occurred to her that she didn't want to be with anyone but Catra, she didn't want to even entertain the thought of being with someone else. What if she was ready to be all in and Catra wasn't? What if this was about lust and not love? What if they go on this date and find out they aren't on the same page? Adora spent a lot of time thinking about what being with Catra would be like, and little to no time thinking about life without her.

Soon, they were home. Or, at least, in the driveway. Adora was stock-still, her breathing heavy, her eyes wide but staring at nothing in particular. She looked down at her hands and noticed them trembling slightly. She could sense movement to her left and felt Glimmer slip her left hand into hers and place her right firmly on her shoulder, close to her neck. Adora took a deep breath and Glimmer released the firm grip on her shoulder. It was a grounding technique they started using back when they were freshman. It didn't take very long for Glimmer to figure out that when Adora get anxious, overwhelmed or overstimulated she freezes, as if paralyzed by her thoughts and feelings. If she can't ground herself that "freeze" quickly turns into dissociation. Glimmer usually squeezes until Adora's breathing regulates and then goes for a more comforting type of contact until she's ready to speak. 

"Sorry." Adora can't help but feel like she has to apologize whenever she has a moment like that. The habit was a gift from her former guardian and didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

"Apology not accepted." Glimmer replied with a small smile. It was her usual response for when Adora apologized for no reason. 

"I just.." Glimmer waited while she sorted through her thoughts. 

"I realized how easy it was to say I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. Like the only option for me is and will always be Catra, and it scared the absolute shit out of me because there's a chance that this means more to me than it does to her. You know I think the world of her and I feel like a dirtbag for doubting her intentions but...Catra always seemed so far away? Like sure I see her twice a week but Catra always made it a point to keep me at arms length and now she wants to go on a date? I'm confused and second guessing everything. I told myself today that above everything else I would be there. I made a promise to myself that no matter what, I'd be by her side as long as she'd let me. That's how deep in this I am, all for a person who doesn't even know my last name. That's a lot right? Is that not intense as fuck for no reason?" Glimmer squeezed her hands gently and Adora took that as a cue to breathe. 

"Adora, close your eyes." She did as she was told and waited. "I am going to ask you something, and I want you to answer without thinking too hard. Say the first thing that comes to mind, okay?" Adora nodded. 

"Do you want to be in a relationship with Catra?" 

"Yes." Her answer was quick. 

"Okay." Glimmer let go of Adora's hands and turned the car off. She then gathered all her belongings and got out. Adora was stuck in the passenger seat confused by the abrupt exit and by the time she snapped out of it, Glimmer had unlocked the front door and went inside. She grabbed her stuff and hurried out of the car to catch up. By the time Adora made it to the door Glimmer had vanished. 

"Uh Glimmer?" She called out.

"In here!" Adora headed towards the voice and found Glimmer in her room going through her closet.

"Why did you just walk away like that?" Glimmer walked out of the closet and laid a pair of light blue ripped jeans, a black crop top and a black and blue colored flannel on the bed before heading back in the closet. Adora followed.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to dismiss you or hurt your feelings. It's just that simple."

"Apology accepted and very much so appreciated but I'm still confused." 

"You know you want to be with Catra and you made a promise that I know you're gonna keep. You are nervous and that makes sense but what you're worrying about doesn't. From what you've told me, Catra doesn't seem like the type to do something she really doesn't want to do, so agreeing to go on a date with someone you aren't interested probably isn't her thing." Adora followed Glimmer back out of the closet and watched as she laid out a pair of black leggings, a white crop top and a black and yellow varsity jacket. Glimmer walked back into the closet but Adora didn't follow, instead she took a minute to think. Her impromtu stylist returned with a pair of Retro Thunder 4s in one hand and a pair of Retro UNC 5s in the other, and put them on the floor by the clothes. Glimmer had a point, If Catra didn't want to pursue her, she wouldn't. In the same day, Adora got her number and a date! This was a sign as good as any. 

"This is what you're gonna do. You're gonna pick one of these outfits, take a shower, take my car, and go pick up your girl. Don't get caught up on dumb 'what if's'. If you aren't sure if you're on the same page, ask her, let Catra tell you what she wants and needs and listen. Express your needs too. I know that's hard for you but your entire relationship cannot be about Catra, you'll lose yourself and her. Lastly, be yourself. I know people always say that but it's important. If you put up a front, she won't be able to get to know the real you and no one wants to build a relationship on a foundation of illusions. Okay?" That last bit was a bit harsh but Adora was thankful for the advice.

"Yeah, okay." With that, Glimmer left the room and shut the door behind her. Was it really that simple? Just be yourself and it'll be enough? Adora figured she'd find out later. Adora took off her shoes and walked into her bathroom. She checked her phone, and set a 40 minute alarm before undressing just to make sure she didn't lose track of time. The water wasn't very hot, truly just a hair above warm but that's what she preferred. She never really understood why people liked their showers scalding hot. It seemed painful and not as relaxing as others claimed it to be. Her mind drifted slightly and she found herself wondering which type of shower Catra would prefer. She found herself doing that a lot recently. Not just thinking about Catra, but about her opinions and preferences. Does Catra like coffee or tea? Does Catra like early mornings or late nights? Does Catra like ice in her water? Does she prefer room temperature water? Does Catra sleep with socks on? Does she keep her home hot or cold or in-between? Adora found herself wanting to know anything and everything about Catra. She had her fingers crossed that she'd get the opportunity to. She really hoped the evening would go well, and that they were on the same page because while she probably could just be Catra’s friend she didn't really want to. 

Her alarm went off, signaling the end of her reverie. She rinsed off any remaining soap and shut off the water before exiting the shower and grabbing her towel. She decided to go with Glimmer’s first outfit choice and put the yellow and black outfit back in the closet for a different time. As she was getting dressed, her phone started to ring. She looked at the name and answered immediately. 

"Hey Catra, what's up?" 

"Hey Adora, I'm gonna send you my address and the address of the place we're going to."

Adora wasn't really sure why Catra chose to call and say that instead of just texting the addresses but Adora noticed her tone was off. She seemed nervous, almost hesitant, a side of her that was rarely shown. Texting seemed more efficient but Adora would never turn down the opportunity to listen to Catra speak, especially if Catra was nervous about something. 

"Okay sounds good!"

"Bet."  There was a beat of silence.

"Hey, Catra?" Adora's voice was even. Quiet but confident.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really excited to be going on this date with you." Adora could have sworn she heard a sigh of relief and was glad she could put Catra's mind at ease.

"I'm really excited too, Princess. Now hurry up and get over here. We have places to be." 

"As you wish."

"You really like that movie huh?"

"I do, I'm a whore for a good romance." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them but Catra's laugh put her panic at ease.

"Noted. Bow says shit like that all the time but I'll admit I'm a bit shocked to hear it from you." 

"Well, I'm sure you're also full of surprises."

"Me secretly being downy wasn't a surprise?" 

"If by Downy you mean soft? Then no. It wasn't a surprise." Adora wasn't sure when she got so bold but she didn't question it. Catra just seemed to bring it out of her. 

"Damn and here I was thinking I was doing a good job hiding it."

"Catra. Your bestie-for-the-restie is sunshine personified. There's no way you weren't secretly, what did you call it? Drowsy?

"Downy."

"Downy. Exactly." 

"Fair point." At this point Adora was dressed and part of her felt like Catra was too. To some, it may seem silly; standing in the middle of your room, on the phone with someone you're about to see but Catra didn't show any signs of hanging up anytime soon so Adora wouldn't either. Catra called for a reason and Adora for damn sure was not going to turn her away even if she couldn't say the real reason out loud. Adora grabbed her airpods off the table and put one in her ear,

"Hey, Catra?"

"Yeah"

"Stay on the phone with me while I drive?" 

"As you wish, Princess." Adora didn't try fighting her blush or her smile this time. She let them happily take up permanent residence on her face as she grabbed Glimmer’s keys and made her way out the door. She hopped in the violet Maserati and typed the address she was sent in the GPS. 

"Okay. I'm heading your way now. Should take about 15 minutes."

"Okay. We driving in silence or are you gonna entertain me?" 

"How would you like to be entertained, darlin?"

"That sounded country as hell for a second."

"Country in a bad way or..?"

"Definitely not in a bad way....I can't believe I didn't notice your accent before." To be fair, her and Catra have never spoken this long. Definitely not long enough to know that Adora wasn't from here.

"It fades in and out I think, I've been told you only hear it when I say certain things."

"Things like what? For me it's most words with vowels in it." Do most words not have vowels? Adora thought to herself. 

"Your accent is cute though, mines in drawn out syllables and poor grammar. Every once in a while I'll say things like 'No it weren't' instead of 'no it wasn't' , or 'you know what I mean" in places people think it don't belong." Adora could hear Catra trying to hide her giggles.

"It don't belong." Catra repeated the phrase back to her in her best country accent.

"Country sounds good on you."

"I bet it looks good on me too." 

"I'm sure I do, darlin." 

"Lemme find out you had mad game this whole time and just decided not to use it." 

"You assumed I was some quiet, wholesome librarian. I have no problem showing you just how wrong your are." Adora will admit that her confidence has grown tremendously since the beginning of this call. They were becoming more and more comfortable with each other and it felt wonderful. It was as if Adora's worries were dissipating with every mile and every word that brought her closer to Catra.

"Okay, Casanova. We'll see what you’re capable of. How far out are you?" 

"3 minutes."

"Okay. I'm gonna hang up and get my wits about me. I'll be out there in a few. Park by the Leasing Office. " 

"Oki doki. See you soon." 

"See you soon. Bye" 

Adora pulled into Catra's Apartment complex moments later and did as she was told. She decided waiting outside the car by the passenger's side was the gentlemanly thing to do, so she put the car in park and got out. The outside air was refreshing and kept her nerves even. That was until she heard a wolf-whistle to her right and saw her companion for the night and hopefully beyond walking towards her. She was wearing a pair of baggy, low rise ripped jeans that sat just under the band of her calvin's, and a cropped maroon sweater with a national park on it that showed off her toned abdomen.  Her hands were decorated with various sliver rings and they glistened, catching the moonlight perfectly as Catra walked towards her. The outfit was completed with a pair of old, low AF1s. Adora couldn't take her eyes off her. She was sure she looked like a golden retriever fiending for a tennis ball. 

"Gaaaahdamn Adora, you lookin good bae." It was random, corny and her volume was obnoxious but the smile on her face as she said it was award-winning. Catra may be just testing out this 'mad game' theory but it still made her feel special, and she wanted to make Catra feel special too.

"You look a lot like the woman of my dreams, you know that?" Adora called out just as loud even though Catra was more than halfway to her.

"Aw, dreaming about me already?" As Catra got closer, Adora felt an overwhelming urge to hug her. To give her a good squeeze and never let go. It felt gravitational. 

"Sure am and I don't think I'll be stopping any time soon. May I give you a hug?"  

"You may, but don't squeeze too hard okay?"

"Yes ma'am." She replied with a goofy smile, she was elated. Catra stepped forward slowly, and Adora opened her arms at the same speed to make sure she didn't overwhelm her. Catra stretched upwards and wrapped her arms around Adora's neck and Adora bent down a little to accommodate their height difference before wrapping her arms around Catra's waist. Not too tight like she asked. The pair sighed in satisfaction, as if they both spent months yearning for this moment, and Adora couldn't help but notice how well Catra’s smaller frame fit against her slightly larger one, as she rested her forehead on Catra's shoulder. Catra’s fingers weaved into Adora's mostly dry hair exploratorily, she moved carefully, mindful of the rings on her hand. After what felt like 30 minutes but was closer to 5, Adora unwrapped her arms a bit and straightened. The motion garnered a soft 'crack' from somewhere is Adora's back and the pair giggled softly. Catra brought her arms down from around her, preparing to step away but Adora gently pulled her close to her chest, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The blonde used the palm of her free hand to rub slow, broad circles on the brunette's back. Adora felt Catra's arms circle around her waist as the settled into the embrace. They took their time savoring the moment.

Adora was counting her lucky stars, she felt grateful, honored and proud of both Catra and herself for getting here. It felt like whatever was holding them back was starting to wither away. Adora thought about the moment she'd get to kiss her, she wasn't sure if it would be tonight or weeks from now but she knew when it came she'd feel just as privileged as she does now.

"Adora?"  Catra's voice was raspy from the silence.

"Hm?" 

"Kiss me?" Adora's once closed eyes shot open. She thought about taking the time to figure out how Catra read her mind but didn't want to waste her opportunity. She put her hands on Catra’s cheeks and searched her eyes. They were gorgeous as always but there was an intensity behind them, and any residual doubts Adora may have had disintegrated right then and there. Without wasting another moment, Adora's lips met Catra's and the rest of the world fell away. Catra moved passionately but slowly, taking her time but not shying away from showing how strong her desire was. Her fingers had found there way underneath Adora's flannel and were flexing on her lower back. Adora exhaled sharply through her nose as she felt Catra's nails graze her skin but they didn't do much more. It was as if Catra had important things to say but all the time in the world to say them. Adora moved with her devotedly, with intention and care. Her hands, which were once on Catra's face, migrated. One made it's way to the back of Catra's neck to play with the hairs at its nape and the other found a home on her lower back. They moaned, and sighed and gasped as they found their rhythm but kept things respectful. It was unclear how much time they spent with their lips intertwined but eventually the pair paused to catch their breath. Adora spoke first,

"Isn't the kiss supposed to happen at the end?" They broke into a fit of giggles, high off the intensity and excitement from the moment before.

"You complaining Princess?" Catra asked, as her thumbs rubbed the bottom of Adora’s jaw. 

"Wouldn't dream of it." Adora gave her a quick peck and warm smile. "I hope you didn't make a reservation anywhere though, cause if you did we definitely missed it." 

"We don't need a reservation where we're going but you're right, we should head out." The duo reluctantly let each other go and Adora turned to open Catra's door for her. Catra rolled her eyes but said a quick thank you before climbing in and Adora made her way to the driver's side. As she got in Catra spoke,

"How the fuck did your country ass end up with a Maserati?" Adora scoffed.

"I can't have a nice car because I'm from the boonies?"

"I guess I just assumed you'd be driving a tractor or something even worse like an F250."

"A tractor!? You can't be serious. You'd let me pick you up in a tractor?" Adora chuckled.

"Well, the last thing I'd think you'd be driving is a Maserati." Adora took her dodging the question as a polite 'fuck no'.

"This isn't my car, it's my friend Glimmer’s." Adora said as she put her seatbelt on and started the vehicle.

"You have a friend named Glimmer?"

"Your name is Catra, should you really be throwing stones?" Catra scoffed this time.

"Catra is a nickname dummy, I bet Glimmer isn't. 

"What's your full first name?" 

"Catalina." Adora blushed slightly. 

"Of course it is." She mumble under her breath.

"What was that? Wanna share with the class?"

"I said 'of couse it is'." 

"Meaning?"

"Why wouldn't someone as gorgeous as you have a name just as beautiful?" Catra sputtered.

"Not too much on me. You're acting like I'm allat and a bag of chips." 

"All that and a bag of chips, with a cookie for dessert and a 64oz sweet tea." Adora replied in earnest. To her, Catra was everything and more. Anyone who thought she was anything less could answer to Adora’s knuckles. 

"Just wait, you'll find something about me you don't like." Catra replied. There was a weird tone to her voice that told Adora to drop it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Catra looking out the window. She seemed sad and Adora was determined to fix that.

"Hey, can you hold this for me?" Adora held out a fist, like there was something in her hand. 

"Sure." Catra held her hand out expectantly and instead of dropping something in Catra's hand, Adora laced their fingers together.

"Thank you so much, you're a lifesaver." 

"You are such an idiot." Catra was shocked by the corniness of it all, like they weren't shouting in the streets earlier, but eventually gave in to the desire to smile. 

"Yeah, I know." 

*************

It didn't take long for Adora to realize where they were going and her excitement grew as they got closer. Adora didn't pay much attention to the address when she put it in the GPS so Razz's Bakery Bar coming into view was a pleasant surprise. Adora was quick to put the car in park.

"Oh my god Catra how did you know I love this place?" 

"I didn't. I just figured I'd bring you to one of my favorite places." 

"You have great taste. Razz is the best. Let's go!" Despite her eagerness to get out of the car, Adora hesitated. Getting out meant letting Catra's hand go. She was prepared for Catra to make fun of her for it but she didn't.

"I'll hold it for you when we get out." She said instead,

"You're not gonna tell me I'm being ridiculous?" 

"No, that would make me a hypocrite considering I want to hold your hand just as badly. Now can we please go before my stomach collapses in on itself." 

"Ay Ay Captain."

"Dork." The pair climbed out of the car and Catra kept her word and held Adora's hand while they walked to the entrance. Razz's Bakery Bar was a bakery by day, bar by night that Razz opened up a couple decades ago. Her and Glimmer used to come here a lot in undergrad. They'd grab coffee's on their way to class and swing by in the evening for a few cocktails once the day was done. Adora was excited to make new memories here with Catra and squeezed her hand gently at the thought. Catra looked at her and smiled, squeezing back just as gently. Adora opened the door for them, and they walked inside. 

Adora assumed they were just going to go sit at the bar and have a meal and maybe a drink but Catra seemed to have something else in mind. She pulled Adora towards a staircase tucked away to the left of the bar. Adora had gone up these stairs a couple times before. A few months ago she got a call from Razz and was asked if she was interested in learning how to make a pie. It was random but Razz said she had ordered too many ingredients and that if Adora helped she could take some pies home for free so the blonde agreed. They tore up the kitchen and ate the pie in Razz's office. Which they seemed to be heading towards.

"Do we need Razz for something?" She asked curiously.

"Kind of, we need her keys." Catra responded before knocking on the door. There was no response. Adora wasn't sure what was going on but decided to just follow Catra's lead. Catra knocked again a little louder, and after a minute or two or silence, the door swung open causing the couple to jump. 

"Why are you scared? I'm just an old lady" Razz stood there and blinked at them like she was waiting for an answer but neither of them spoke. "Come in, come in."

The pair stepped into the office but instead of sitting, they lingered by the door. Razz didn't question it, instead she pulled a small ring of keys off of her larger one and tossed them to Catra. She effortlessly caught them and Adora was...flustered? Why? She couldn't tell you. Catra could breathe too hard in her direction and she'd fold. Immediately.

"Go. Have fun. Be safe. Madame Razz must leave soon but you have everything you need." 

"Where do you want me to leave the keys when we're done?" Adora was watching quietly, there was an odd quality to Razz's voice that Adora couldn’t place. Catra and Razz seemed have talked about something but she wasn’t sure what so she waited patiently. 

"Leave them? They are your keys now dearie. Razz will not be taking them back. I trust you." 

"That means a lot Razz..Thank you." Razz smiled. There was a twinge of sadness in her eyes. Why was Razz sad? She thought about asking but figured she wouldn't get a straight answer anyway. Razz then turned her attention to Adora.

"Come here, Adora." Adora hesitated. Something was wrong. She turned to Catra who gave her a soft smile, not picking up on the odd energy in the room, before squeezing her hand and letting go. Adora walked up to Razz's chair,

"What's up Razz?" The older woman looked at her for a moment. A long moment, and Adora felt vulnerable in a way she only felt with Razz. In seconds she was a teenager again, standing before Razz in old, ill-fitting clothes with her stomach screaming for respite from hunger. They spoke with their eyes, "why's and when's" pouring out of pale blue. Razz was leaving and she wasn't sure when or if she'd be back.

"I know dearie. I know, but Razz's work is done here. You have the one from your dreams, you have your friends and you have this." Razz tugged lightly on the gold necklace Adora had tucked into her shirt. 

"You have everything you need Adora. Now go have fun. Live freely before it is your turn to fight to be free." 

"I don't know what that means but okay." She said as she rolled her eyes. Adora was frustrated but gave up on starting something after being whacked in the forehead with a broom.

"You are frustrated. That is fine but you are still talking to Madame Razz." 

 "Sorry, Razz." Adora felt a bit ashamed for letting her emotions get to her.

"You have questions. My Mara had questions too. It is alright if you do not understand, you don't need to right now. Right now, you just need to focus on what's in front of you. No more tears for me." Adora doesn’t know when she started crying but could you blame her? Razz was the closest thing she had to an actual guardian and now she was about to pull a Nanny McPhee and disappear. Razz stood up and hugged the blonde. Adora wanted to wilt, to curl up into a ball and sob but she couldn’t. Instead, she wiped her tears, shook out her hands and straightened her back. 

"Thank you Razz. For everything."

"You're very welcome dearie." Adora nodded and walked towards Catra. There was a hard crease in her brow, likely from trying to figure out what was going on, but she still held out her hand as Adora approached. Adora placed a kiss on Catra's knuckles and the crease in her brow softened. They said their goodbyes to Razz and exited the room. Catra led them to another stair case, one Adora hadn't noticed before, and they ascended in silence. They made it to a door labeled 'roof access' and Catra used a key from the ring she was given. The door opened to reveal a rooftop patio area decorated with a projector hooked up to a dvd player, a sectional couch, a couple bean bag chairs and string lights that were weaved through the rafters of the structure over the couch. The couch seemed to have been moved to make space for a couple quilts spread out on the floor. There were candles and flowers scattered around to complete the ensemble. 

Adora's jaw was on the floor and stayed like that until Catra pressed under her chin to close her mouth.

"You're not saying anything and it's making me nervous, I can't tell if you're happy or unhappy." Catra was shifting awkwardly on the balls of her feet.

"Happy. Very happy and shocked. This is amazing Catra. Did you do all of this for me? Wasn't I supposed to be paying you back for the coffee though?"  

"I used to sneak up here a while ago. At the time, there was nothing up here but I eventually started adding stuff. I brought the projector and DVD player over earlier today for us but thrifted the blankets and bean bag chairs and brought em over ages ago. When Razz caught me sneaking in and out of here she didn't kick me out like I thought she would. Instead she offered to get the couch, some fake grass and some string lights to make it 'more comfortable'. So to answer your first question, some of it for you, most of it for me?" Catra pulled Adora towards the couch and lifted one of the seats to show a hidden chest.

"In here, I keep some of my art stuff, a pair of noise canceling headphones, fidget toys, bored games and some books. This is one of my all time favorite places so I figured it would be a cool place to have dinner and maybe watch a movie or something." Catra seemed so excited to share this place with her and it had her heart ready to burst. 

"I'm so happy I don't know what to do with myself. You made my favorite place even more special, thank you Catra." 

"No thanks needed. You think you need to make up for the coffee when in reality you don't need to." Adora was going to protest but was stopped.

"This might be a bunch of word vomit but please bear with me, you deserve nice things, you deserve to feel special because you are special and I spent the last several months treating you otherwise despite the fact that I think you are very, very special. Full transparency, I had a bit of a breakdown after giving you my number earlier, not because I didn't want you to have it but because that meant that I'd no longer be able to pretend I didn't want you to have it. I treated you the way I did because I figured if you hated me, you wouldn't be in my life and then I'd never have the chance to disappoint you. It's a shit thing to do and I wanted to apologize before we got any further into the night. I don’t want to pretend to be intimidating anymore. I don't want to push you away. I- " Catra looked down at her feet and took a deep breath before meeting Adora's eyes again. "I desperately want you in my life, Adora. Any way you'll have me and I'm sorry for treating you as anything less than the amazing person you are."

Adora was in awe, she didn't think Catra could be so vulnerable, so open. She was thankful for the apology and proud of Catra for opening up. 

"I desperately want you in my life too, Catra. More than I think you'll ever understand." Catra looked like she didn't believe her so Adora decided to be a bit vulnerable herself. 

"I spiraled a bit today too. Glimmer picked me up from work and I guess she could feel the excitement radiating off my body because she asked what was up the second I got in the car. Soon as I said the word date she hooped and hollered. I didn't even need to tell her who it was with because she already knew. In that moment it occurred to me that I had, still have and will have absolutely no desire to be with anyone but you and at the time that scared me. You're not perfect, but I'm not either. You think highly of me and I hope you to know that I think highly of you too. I was once told that my worth is in no way diminished by the things I've gone through or the things I've done to survive and I think the same goes for you. Despite what you may believe. I want to learn with you, grow with you, build with you, be with you." This was turning into word vomit of her own but Adora didn't care. She needed Catra to understand that her presence routinely had Adora's heart gnawing at the bars of it's enclosure, desperate to launch itself into her hands.

"And I think I've wanted that since you first called me Little League. It'll take patience, effort, grace, and other shit too but, call me crazy, I don’t think I'll ever want to do it all with anyone but you." Adora felt out of breath as her passionate confession came to a close. They stared at each other for a moment before Adora was knocked backwards by Catra who had jumped up and latched on to her like a koala. Adora wrapped her arms around her, supporting her weight while Catra showered her face in kisses. The pair was in stitches, giggling like a couple of highschoolers as the pure unadulterated happiness from the moment overcame them. 

"You want to be mine?" Catra asked in a teasing tone

"Mmmhmm" Adora nodded goofily.

"And you want me to be yours?" 

"Mmmmmhmmmm" 

"You liiiiike meeeee. How embarrassing for you." 

"I got the hottest person in the world in my arms right now, ain't shit to be embarrassed about darlin." Adora replied with a wink. 

"Alright, Casanova. The 'hottest person in the world' is gonna die of hunger if you don't feed them soon." 

"Tell me what you want and I'll go down and grab it."

"I'll have a spicy chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries."

"Anything to drink?" 

"Modelo, dressed."

"Oki doki." Adora gave Catra a quick peck on the lips and put her down. 

"I'll boot up the projector so we can watch something while we eat."

"I like the way you think." Adora said with a smile before turning towards the door to the stairs.

Catra celebrated like she had just won the world cup, she cheered and fist bumped the air wildly. 

Adora had only made it down a couple steps before doing the same. 

Chapter Text

A/N: Let me start by saying, I wanted this story to seem like bits and pieces of a bigger story (PT 2 will not be like that). I didn't provide a lot of setting details, and gave little background information because of how quickly it would change. Some things may seem random or out of place but I assure you all will be revealed in time! Now, a bit about the characters:

Adora and Catra are definitely past the crush stage, no surprise there lol. I wanted there to be this element of finality to their relationship because I feel like in the show it wasn't really a question of whether or not they cared for each other. They were important to each other and that remained a thing throughout the show even when they wouldn't/couldn't express it or didn't understand it. So, in this story, I wanted to incorporate that while giving them a bit of grace and explore that feeling of "I think you're my person" while also being transparent about the fact that healthy relationships of any kind require continuous effort and can be hard when you don't really know what you're doing. There will be good times and not so good times but such is life.

In regards to the other characters: Everyone who hasn't met before, meets in this chapter pretty much. They all go to "Scorpia's shop" and Catra gets their hair done by Perfuma but those relationships are professional for the most part.  

Other reminders:

- Things get a little heated so the fic has been rated explicit but it isn't smut level heated if that makes any sense. 

- Not all characters are cis and absolutely none of them are straight.

-Catra uses they/them pronouns in most of this chapter except for when spoken of in the past tense.

- POV be whooping my ass lowkey despite my several years of education, so it shifts just a tad but mostly stays in the third person. My apologies

- Thank you so so much for your patience with this fic, see you at the end of this chapter!

(End of A/N)

The air was humid and thick, causing her clothes to cling to her body like a second skin. Her lungs were working overtime, but, she pumped her arms faster, hoping it would encourage the rest of her to continue. She didn't know where she was, and couldn't take the time to look around, lest she lose sight of the tuft of white hair weaving in and out of the trees. The skin on her ankles burned as she ran through the barbed weeds scattered throughout the grassy floor. Nevertheless, she continued, desperate to catch the person seemingly floating through the thick brush around them. It felt like she had been running through these woods for hours but the memory of how she got here in the first place was nonexistent. The figure started to slow down and Adora took that as her cue to speed up, seizing the opportunity to finally close the distance. 

Suddenly, the figure stopped completely. At the speed Adora was going, stopping was out of the question and she closed her eyes preparing for the inevitable collision. However, instead of making contact with another body, the blonde collided with the ground. She had no choice but to lie there as she was rendered immobile by the pain and embarrassment of falling flat on her face. Eventually, she rolled on to her back, her eyes still closed and her lungs still working harder than they've ever worked before. 

 "Adora, we do not have time for this." The figure admonished. 

Shock didn't feel like a strong enough word to withstand the weight of the emotions Adora was feeling in this moment. She knew that voice, there was only one person she knew of with an accent like that. And as Adora slowly opened her eyes, she was met with a pair of brown ones magnified by an enormous pair of glasses that belonged to none other than Madame Razz. 

"Come." The woman instructed before walking away. Adora didn't follow immediately, instead, she finally took the time to take in her surroundings. The grass was softer here than in the heart of the woods, and now that the sound of her own breathing was no longer occupying her ears, she noticed the sound of birds and other wildlife in the distance. The air still felt heavy but less so, as a breeze swirled around her slowly. She attempted to lie there, for just a few moments longer but was interrupted,

"ADORA!" The young woman jumped and the birds in the distance fled the trees, both startled by the booming voice of the old woman inside the cottage stationed a few yards away. Adora rose to her feet, and made her way inside the small home, knowing better than to push her luck. 

"I break my back to meet you here and you are outside dilly-dallying."  The old woman muttered as she hurried around the room. Adora watched silently, knowing that if she gave the elder any attitude, she'd only end up with even more questions then she already had and a welt on her forehead. She casted her eyes around the room, taking in as many details as possible silently hoping it would jog some type of hidden memory of this place. But, no memories came. 

"No matter, we'll just have to make this quick."  Adora turned her attention to the woman standing over the stove in the back of the room, and cocked her head to the side in bewilderment as she noticed the small swarm of butterflies hovering over the purple-ish robes draped on Razz's shoulders. Before Adora could inform the woman of the dozen little insects surrounding her, Razz turned to her with sorrow in her eyes. It was the same look of sorrow that Razz gave her the night before. Adora was not ready for another random goodbye and the thought brought a crease to her brow.

"The life you know now will soon be no more. My Mara did everything she could to stop this from happening but it did not work. We are out of time Adora."  Adora could feel the sadness pouring off of the woman and she was ashamed to admit that a part of her was frustrated by it. It felt as though her most recent moments with Razz were constantly tainted by this feeling of despondency and she didn't understand why. She wanted to go back to making way too many pies and being only mildly confused by Razz's prophetic ramblings, but she couldn't and it seemed as though she never would again.

"Razz who is Mara? What are you talking about? What are you doing here? Why are you not in Brightmoon?"  She asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"I am in Brightmoon. The real Brightmoon. Mara said you would be confused but Razz does not think she can help you, the history here is too much to explain in a dream!" Razz exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Adora was reeling, she guessed this being a dream would make more sense than if it weren't but that didn't provide her with any solace whatsoever. She almost laughed at the absurdity of it all, Razz usually didn't make sense but this was a whole other ball game entirely.

"Maybe this will help?" Razz walked over to a shelf covered with some type of quilt and pulled it back to reveal a sword, or at least the pieces of one. Adora walked over to get a closer look and inspected the pieces of the blade laid on the dark wood of the shelf. It looked familiar, and as she touched it, it sure felt familiar but she didn't know where she had seen it before. She wanted to pull her hand away, to go back outside and just lay in the grass but the sword seemed to call out to her and she couldn't bring herself to move away. She was not fond of feeling confused (despite how often she usually was) and couldn't shake the feeling that this sword was not the answer to all her questions. Still, h er fingers traced the lines engraved on the blade, eventually landing on the stone in the middle of the golden hilt. 

Without warning, the room was engulfed in light. Adora's eyes started to glow and memories that were not her own flashed through her mind like a slideshow. A tan woman with long brown hair tied in a braid, was the star of this strange movie playing behind her eyes. The woman was a warrior in some images and just a person in others, she couldn't have been much older than Adora herself. There were images of a hologram dressed in robes showing this woman kindness while also being the cause of tremendous heartbreak. She saw a pale-skinned nonhuman with a red symbol adorning his back, and armies marching in formation. She heard bits and pieces of a conversation between what looked like royalty sitting around in a war room. Lastly, she saw Razz and the woman, laughing while laying a layer of crust over a pie and it was then that she realized that these memories belonged to Mara. She was somehow sure of that in her spirit and now, Mara was gone.

Madame Razz watched silently with tears in her eyes, as the glowing in Adora's faded. The tall woman stepped away from the sword on the shelf and the weight of everything she saw brought her to her knees. While she didn't understand a lot of it, and was concerned about most of it, she finally understood the reason for the cloud of sorrow that seemed to hang over the older woman. Razz was grieving. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that washed over her at the thought of her being in Razz's life being more painful than if they had never met. Razz was constantly being reminded of a person she lost just by being around Adora. If Adora never showed up on her doorstep, if Adora had been strong enough, brave enough, smart enough to sort out her own life Razz would have been able to heal and move on. 

"I am so sorry Razz." Adora whispered with her head hanging low.

"Dearie, I told you no more tears for me. Razz would go through it all again if it meant meeting you and my Mara." A loud ringing broke through the tension in the room, it startled Adora but Razz sighed knowingly. She walked over to the small timer perched on the stove and turned it off before returning to the woman still on the floor. Frail hands framed Adora's face, 

"It is time to wake up Adora." 

"Huh?" 

"Razz is sorry but you must. Wake. Up!" Razz ended her sentence with a brisk slap on Adora's cheek. 

**************

Adora shot up in her bed with a loud gasp and cradled her left cheek. There was a layer of sweat coating her body but strangely enough, she felt chilled to the bone. She grasped at the sword around her neck and was not failing to note how warm it felt pressed against the palm of her hand. She squeezed, hoping the warmth would be enough to ground her but eventually let go when it didn't provide the comfort she hoped. She examined the pendent and took note of how eerily similar one of its faces was to the sword on Razz's shelf and a burst on anxiety tickled her lower back.

Adora had never had a dream like that before, especially one so vivid, and just as she was about to sort through the flashes of life she saw, the alarm for her usual morning run filled the silence, breaking her out of her trance. It wasn't real, the sword, the war she saw, the red insignia, Razz, it was all just one fucked up dream. At least, that's what she was going to be telling herself from here on out. Adora refused to acknowledge the sickening feeling that she had seen that red symbol before and instead, silently got ready for her run. Soon, she was out the door.

Eager to rid her mind of the remnants of her dream, she willed herself to think of Catra and last night's date. She smiled at the memory of Catra sprawled out on the blankets and shooting up excitedly when she returned with their food. They watched The Princess Bride and talked about anything and everything when the movie ended. They laughed, and cuddled and even spent moments wordlessly basking in each other's presence. Adora learned more about Catra than she ever thought she'd get to. She learned that Catra likes hot showers, black coffee, hates waking up early if it's not for food or a wake and bake, hates sleeping with clothes on because she doesn't like the feeling of her clothes rubbing against the blankets, loves a shit ton of ice in her water, keeps her apartment at 65 degrees year round because she "runs hot", secretly likes country music (which was a pleasant surprise) but would never admit it, and wore dark green on days her pronouns change. Adora spent hours just listening to Catra speak and was happy to know that once you got her going, it was hard to get her to stop. Not that she'd ever tell Catra to stop talking. Catra seemed to be the only thing getting Adora through this run and she wasn't even there. 

As her route came to a close, and her and Glimmer's front lawn came into view, she realized that despite this being the beginning of their relationship, she was already in love with Catra. The fact it took her so long to realize just how long she had been was astounding. The 5-miler laid down on the grass of their front lawn and laughed. It was loud, delirious and laced with other complex emotions but carried on for quite a while. Adora laughed for so long and so hard that she ended up with a stitch in her side and the hiccups. What she didn't see during her giggle fit, was Glimmer looking through the window with a mischievous grin and the app that controls the sprinklers open and ready. Before she knew it, Adora was being sprayed with ice cold water in all directions. With a quickness, she was on her feet and through the front door. Glimmer squealed with glee, very proud of herself, as she was chased through the house. 

"You were just laying there rolling around in the grass, I was concerned!" Glimmer claimed.

"Bullshit! You could've just asked." Adora called as she rounded a corner, nearly catching her. The chase continued until they both slipped on one of the many puddles of water Adora made all over the foyer and they laid there breathing heavy and giggling until they simply couldn't laugh anymore. 

"Okay we gotta get up, we have a breakfast date to go on." Adora snickered at the stupid joke that formed in her mind.

"Uh, Glim? We already tried the 'dating thing' and it didn't work out too well for us, remember?" Glimmer swatted her on the shoulder.

"As friends, idiot. I don't want Catra to fight me. She seems scary." Adora couldn't argue with Catra coming off as intimidating, she took 45 business days to ask her out for pete's sake. 

"Fair. Alright let's go." Adora was on her feet first and helped Glimmer to hers before parting ways to their respective rooms to get ready. The plan was to grab breakfast and head to Scorpia's shop afterwards to grab her car. She was excited to get her car back but was even more excited about the plans her and Catra had afterwards. She was excited for breakfast with Glimmer too, don't get her wrong, but Glimmer just wasn't Catra.

In the next town over, Catra was sitting on their couch with a leg propped up and an ice pack on their knee, silently cursing themselves for all the jumping around they did last night. They weren't usually up this early on a Friday but woke from a strange dream around 6am and couldn't go back to sleep. They tried taking a bath, listening to music, smoking a joint, and drinking some tea but none of their remedies worked like they usually did. So, here they were, already dressed for the day with nowhere to be for the next hour. They'd been sitting here for so long that they may as well have become a part of the couch, and with nothing else to occupy their time, they allowed their mind to drift back to the events that startled them awake.

************

The air was gelid and cool on the inhale, causing misty clouds of smoke to form around their mouth and nose as they exhaled. All that could be heard was a steady, soft, dripping noise as water fell from the ceiling. Based on that and the lack of light, Catra could only assume they were underground somewhere. They walked around aimlessly through the dark corridors, looking for someone, anyone to tell them where the fuck they were and how they could get back home. As time went on and no one appeared, Catra grew more and more nervous. Unfamiliar environments were their Achilles' heel and not having a surefire escape was driving them a bit insane. They began to take deep breaths, hyperaware of their susceptibility to panic and called out into the void,

"Hello? My name is Catra and I think I may be lost." They repeated the phrase over and over, silently begging for a response. The only response they received was a call from their own echo, but still, they continued. After repeating the phrase about 5 or 6 times, they heard a voice call out to them,

"Abdicator...Abdicator..." The one voice turned to many and was accompanied by what sounded like marching. They whipped their head around, but there was no light to guide them towards or away from the source of the chanting. The words were repeated monosyllabically and it had Catra's heart racing, they were frozen in place with nowhere to go.  After a moment of scrambling, they sank to their knees and silently begged to be spared. They would have been caught, had it not been for a hooded figure grabbing them by the collar and dragging them into what seemed to be some type of private office. 

"You must be quiet, or they will find you." The person warned in a foreign language. Catra thrashed around until they were released and turned towards the figure,

"What the fuck are you talking about? Where am I and who the hell are you?" Catra whispered harshly as they straightened their shirt, stopping short of fixing the collar when they realized that despite having never heard this language before, they understood the stranger perfectly.

"Cloudfoot my liege. I am your royal advisor."  They said with a bow.

"My royal advisor? What the fuck do I need a royal advisor for? And why can I understand you?"  They demanded, agitated by the previous unwanted contact and growing confusion. 

"Your reclamation of the throne, my liege, and this is your native tongue." Catra's eyes widened. While they didn't mind being referred to as 'my liege', they were sensitive to the fact that they did not know this person, did not come from royalty and sure as fuck did not speak this language until just now.

"My what of the what now?" Catra's brow was set in a serious crease, their heart still racing as the chanting in the distance grew louder.

"I am not surprised you do not understand, C'yra did everything she could to prevent you from ever taking over Halfmoon. However, she has passed and the agreement with the Horde has almost expired. Therefore, you must come back to Subtheria, get in touch with your magicat roots, and assume the throne before this kingdom falls apart. There are people who do not believe the throne is yours to take and they will do everything in their power to ensure you stay away from this kingdom but they cannot argue with fate. You were meant to rule, born to be a ruler."  While Catra would normally live for an opportunity to boss people around, being in charge of a kingdom was a whole different story.

"I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong person." Catra took a step back, preparing to give in to the urge to run away and pretend this never happened but was grabbed by the wrist. 

"Long ago, there was a civilization built-" Catra wrenched their wrist from Cloudfoot's grasp,

"Listen, I hate to cut you off Cloudtoes but two things: One, do not touch me without my explicit consent. Two, I am so far away from the plane of understanding that you might want to save your breath." Catra didn't care if they came off as rude, they were eager to get out of this situation. 

"Caiu-My liege, there is too much you do not know, I must start from the beginning." Cloudfoot huffed, unhappy with being cut off. The marching in the background continued, and Catra's palms started to sweat.  

"We don't have time for this. There are people after me, I'm in a strange place, you're speaking gibberish and I can't see a fucking thing!" Catra's voice grew louder as their frustration passed a rolling boil. 

"Here, take my hands." Cloudfoot offered frantically. Catra stared at the hands stretched in front of them for a moment before relenting, they figured their only shot at finding out what was going on was by cooperating. Cloudfoot closed their eyes and started what sounded like an incantation of some kind. They weren't sure what they were supposed to do and stood there awkwardly until foreign memories materialized behind their eyes. They were no longer in a dark room in some underground cave, instead they were in what looked like a meeting room in a castle. A voice was heard behind them and they canted their eyes towards it. 

"The Horde has infiltrated our kingdom but we will not let them win..." The voice belonged to what seemed to be a cat? a person? a cat-person? Catra wasn't sure but they could definitely tell this person was calling the shots. They had dark fur, that looked to have a brownish tint to it, and amber colored eyes. They were draped in maroon and gold robes that were loose on their figure and was accessorized in silver jewelry. They effortlessly captured the attention of everyone in the room.

"Now I know there has been discourse surrounding my heir.." The ruler paused with an eyebrow raised, as if they were daring anyone to speak up, no one did.

"My wife and I do not wish for Caius to grow up in a world like this and therefore they won't. I have spoken with the other members of the Royal Alliance and they plan to send all heirs across Etheria to an alternate universe and disguise them using magic to ensure they outlive this conflict. We have agreed to send Caius as well. The heirs will no longer be a part of this world, therefore they will not inherit their kingdoms. If -." In a flash, Catra was back in the dark room holding hands with Cloudfoot. There was banging on the wall around them and the chanting from before sounded a little too close for comfort.

"You must go. If you can find your way back to me, I will do my absolute best to ease you into this life. I wish you luck, my liege." Cloudfoot bowed and there was a flash of blinding light . In seconds Catra was back in their room, out of breath and covered in sweat.

************

A chill ran down their spine at the memory. The names they heard: 'Cloudfoot', 'C'yra', 'Caius', they meant something. Catra just didn't understand what that something was. The name 'Caius' stood out to them, and they didn't miss the way Cloudfoot almost addressed them as such. The name felt heavy in their throat as they tried to say it out loud, and they felt a tight pressure in their chest as if the name grabbed the air straight from their lungs. They struggled to reconcile the desire to put the pieces together, with the urge to forget it all entirely. The fear they felt, the chanting, their mystical royal advisor, and the monarch addressing a room full of cat-people in decorated robes and armor, it all seemed so bizarre, but something tugged on the depths of their being. The monarch spoke of an alternate universe...what the fuck were the odds that that other world....was their own? They chastised themselves,

"Be so fucking for real Catra. You are not an heir to some foreign underground kingdom. It was just a dream and the fact that you're sitting here talking to yourself about it is outlaaandish." They drew out the syllables and rubbed their eyes hoping to disrupt the flashes of imagery that insisted on circling their brain. "What the hell is a magicat anyway?" They mumbled as they laid there, head in hands until their alarm disrupted their train of thought. The steady stum of an electric guitar started to get louder and louder and Catra couldn't resist the urge to air drum along. They let the alarm play for a bit, and joined in for the chorus,

"Run, baby, run, run for your life. I'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine." The alarm looped again and Catra turned it off, and instead opened Spotify to listen to the full song. They had a couple more minutes before Bow would be knocking on the door to take them over to Scorpia's and they planned to spend those minutes belting the words to Dutch Melrose's RUNRUNRUN. They wasted no time, and connected their phone to the closest Bluetooth speaker. 

"Oh there she go, losing my head. Say you'll love me to death, 'cause I will." Catra was killing it on the air guitar, taking full advantage of them living alone. The feeling of being unmasked was invigorating and they shook their head and strummed dramatically in true rockstar fashion. Their voice mirrored the way the singer glided from low to high, stressing out syllables in an almost sultry and bold way.

"Oh, Father, please, please don't waste any time. The sirens are turning red, I found a whole 'nother vice.

Father, please, she's perfect in your design. She's covered in Saint Laurent, you've showed me the holy light."

If Catra could jump, they would be bouncing around their apartment like a mad man. They were so lost in the song that they didn't hear the lock on the door unlatch and open. Bow's presence went undetected until the chorus came on once more and he could no longer refrain from joining in,

"Run, baby, run, run for your life. I'ma tear out your heart, it'll always be mine."  Now that, Catra heard and they spun around startled until they saw that it was just Bow. Who, apparently, enjoyed the song as much as they did, as he was clutching on to an invisible mic and singing like his life depended on it. Catra joined in without hesitation and the pair finished the song together, no doubt forming a core memory in the process. Catra walked up to Bow and gave him a hug, they were buzzing from excitement and felt overwhelmed with appreciation. Thankful for moments like the one they just shared. If Bow was surprised by the gesture, he didn't give it away and wrapped his arms around their smaller frame. Catra rarely initiated hugs so they wouldn't be surprised if it caught him a little off guard. They squeezed and Bow squeezed back ever so slightly and it was exactly what they needed. Catra didn't know it at the time but Bow needed that hug too. Catra soon pulled away and walked over to the kitchen table to collect their things. 

"That key is for emergencies, you know?" They teased.

"It was an emergency, you were playing a banger and wouldn't answer the door. I almost missed my part!" He said matter of factly, and Catra shook their head in response.

"How dare I keep you from having your moment. Anyways, you ready?" They asked, as they pulled their tote bag over their shoulder.

"Sure am. Keys? Wallet? Cell?" He prompted,

"Check, check and check." 

"Bet. Let's go." 

The pair went through their "out the door" routine and headed out to Bow's car. The car ride was filled with stories of Bow's recent escapades with Mermista and Seahawk, and while Catra didn't know the couple that well, they trusted Bow's judge of character and listened with genuine interest. One of the things Catra appreciated most about their friendship, was how open they could be with each other. Catra knew practically everything about Bow and after a year or so, Bow knew more about Catra than anyone else on the planet. There was nothing they couldn't get through together, nothing they couldn't talk about. They were damn near permanent fixtures in each other's lives and it took a lot to get here but Catra would go through it all over again, even the awkward, semi-toxic relationship they fell into, if it meant that they'd get to be Bow's friend. It was enough to make them emotional if they thought about it too long. 

"I think this is turning into something kind of serious and let me tell you Lee, this shit is nerve-wracking." Catra smiled at the nickname, it was one of the many variations of their name that was used by Bow and Bow alone.

"Would you rather say what if? or oh well?" Catra asked. Bow sat in silence for a minute, thinking over the question carefully.

"Oh well." He said quietly.

"I thought so. Talking yourself out of shit is a play out of my book, get your own." Catra scoffed playfully,

"In all seriousness Bowie, things seem to be great so far and you'd fair well taking some of the advice you've given me. Pulling away from something you want, just hurts you and the people you care about, it also takes away their option to choose what they want and that's not fair. Just be the open, honest, lovable, genuine person you are, communicate with them about any doubts you may have, and set boundaries when you need to. Do all that and let it rock. It's new and scary, I know, but it's not something worth missing out on." Catra let their words sit in the air for a minute, allowing him time to think them over. Bow was one of those people who just had a lot of love to give. He not only had the capacity but also the desire to cultivate multiple meaningful and intimate connections. Monogamy didn't make him happy and that was okay. Catra would hate to see him put himself in a box he doesn't want to be in just because its "easier", so they tried their best to support him and encourage him any way they could. 

"I think I can do that. Thank you." He said with sheepish smile.

"Gotchu. Always." 

A comfortable silence fell over them and as they got closer to Scorpia's, Catra's mind began to overflow with thoughts of Adora. They had plans after getting their vehicles and to say Catra was excited would be an understatement. Bow could sense Catra's growing excitement and chuckled softly to himself. They facetimed when Catra got home around 2am, so Bow knew all about the date and why Catra was so excited. He was delighted to hear that things went well and was eager to see how their relationship progressed. 

As they turned into the lot of Scorpia's shop, Catra's leg began to bounce rapidly. They were equally as nervous as they were excited but, if they weren't careful, the scale would tip in an unwanted direction. Panic....

'Do they address Adora first or Glimmer out of respect? Glimmer probably. Will they have to introduce Bow? Nah he can handle himself. Will Adora like my outfit? Most likely. Will she want to kiss me? Gods I hope so. What if she hugs me too tight and I freak out? Adora has been great with their boundaries thus far, why would that change?  Will she notice me limping and try to help because she feels sorry for me? That one is a hard maybe.'

It was safe to say the scale was tipping, and their mind was ambushed by what if's and it frustrated them because the questions they were asking themselves seemed silly and rather easy to answer. Adora wasn't the boogieman, so why were they so nervous? They didn't see any sign of Adora or Glimmer's car so they took a moment to take a deep breath and steel themselves. After a minute or so, Bow turned towards them and whispered,

"Hey. Just flip the switch." Catra shook their head and hands slightly and closed their eyes, flipping the metaphorical switch at the back of their brain and allowing the anxiety to melt away. When Catra opened their eyes, they noticed a purple luxury car pulling in next to Bow's tiny blue sedan and figured it was now or never.

"Holy shit Lee, who's car is that?!" Bow said with a gasp.

"That would be Sparkles." As if on cue, Glimmer and Adora emerged from the vehicle and both Bow and Catra's breath caught. Catra almost made a comment about the way Bow's jaw was on the floor but figured he probably wouldn't appreciate it so, they said nothing more and opened their door and stepped out. The brunette locked eyes with Glimmer and they tipped their head up, giving a nod of acknowledgement along with a quick "Sup, Sparkles." They decided it was best to get the greeting out of the way now because they knew that the moment they locked eyes with Adora, everyone around them would cease to exist and Catra would not be apologizing for it. Glimmer waved, and was undoubtedly about to correct them on her name before Bow swooped in,

"Excuse my friend, they seem to be having a hard time focusing on more than one thing at once. I'm Bow, pleased to meet you." Catra scoffed at the statement but had to admit he wasn't completely wrong seeing as they had already turned towards Adora who was watching a flustered Glimmer stutter through a greeting to Bow. Catra took a moment and simply admired the woman standing before them before getting her attention.

"Hey, Adora." The blonde turned, and blushed slightly. Adora was wearing a blue and white, unbuttoned baseball jersey with a sports bra underneath, matched with a pair of light blue jeans and all white Retro 1s along with her gold sword necklace. Her outfit was a stark contrast to Catra's dark green crop top, green and black flannel, black jeans, and black timberland boots, but, in a weird way, it felt as though they were matching. They just seemed to compliment each other, no matter how different they looked. Almost like night and day.

"Aww, no shouting across the lot this time?" Adora asked with an eyebrow raised hoping to fluster them a bit. Catra rolled their eyes and crossed their arms as Adora began to smile obnoxiously, quite proud of herself for the quip. They turned to walk away, hoping to hide that they were in fact flustered and needed a bit of time to recover and think of a comeback. However, Adora was quick, and wrapped an arm around their torso loosely, allowing Catra plenty of room to step away if they wanted to. Heat sizzled where Adora's skin met their own and Catra turned to face her, the last thing they planned to do was step away. Slowly, they put each hand on her waist, thankful for her choice to forego the buttons, and framed her ribs. They scratched at the exposed skin of her stomach for a moment, watching the muscles contract with a smirk before framing her ribs once more and pulling her in close until their bodies were flush against each other. The move was rather intrepid but it had Adora panting softly and holding on to Catra's waist as if their hips were the only thing keeping her standing. 'Mission accomplished' Catra thought to themselves as Adora was rendered speechless.

"No shouting this time, but how's this?" Catra raised their arms and cupped Adora's jaw with their hands. They brought her down until their lips met and the grip around their waist tightened slightly. As the kiss deepened, large hands began to move up and down their lower back. Thumbs teased the hem of their top and pinkies skated just below the hem of their jeans. The pressure of Adora's fingertips ebbed and flowed in a tantalizing pattern and it was stoking the fire burning within them. The care Adora took with their body was unwavering, even as the kiss grew more intense, she never squeezed too tight or ventured too far and not only was it a turn on, it also had their heart desperate to launch itself into her hands. Catra's hands were on a mission to memorize the details of Adora's upper body, they squeezed at her arms and shoulders greedily, encouraged by the sounds escaping her lips. Catra felt hands slip into their back pockets and squeeze. They felt themselves stir below the belt and they grunted quietly, fighting the overwhelming urge to chase the feeling by bucking their hips. Catra was real close to saying fuck it, ready to take things much farther than what was appropriate for a public place, but eventually slowed the kiss down until it dissolved into short pecks before pulling away. Adora's eyes were half-lidded, her cheeks were rosy, her lips were swollen, and her hair looked tousled. Catra was sure they were in a similar state. 

"T-that was good. Yup. Fantastic actually." Adora said dreamily, finally answering their question.

"Dork." 

The pair stood there seemingly unwilling to end the embrace. Adora looked at them for a long time before tucking her face into their neck. Catra rubbed one hand on the arch in between Adora's shoulders and another along her spine, aware of the strain the embrace but on Adora's back. They stood there in silence for a moment and eventually Adora's head emerged from the crook of Catra's neck.

"You okay?" Catra asked and Adora smiled shyly.

"Yeah, just needed to calm down a bit, if we didn't stop I might've-"  Adora cut herself off, with wide eyes as if she were shocked that she was just going to admit what she was thinking out loud. 

"You might've...." Catra prodded with a brow raised. Adora's cheeks were giving tomatoes a run for their money and she did her best to avoid eye contact before eventually just deciding to put her face back into the crook of Catra's neck. The latter smiled to themselves before running their fingers through her unbound hair. 

"I won't force you, but you can tell me, Princess. No judgement, promise" Adora took a moment before whispering in Catra's ear,

"I might've ended up on my knees right here in this parking lot." Catra was done for as their brain took her statement and ran with it, creating all types of imagery to go along with it. They knew it was more of a hyperbolic hypothetical than literal, considering it was broad daylight and they both had too much anxiety for something like that but the sentiment, the thought that Adora would want to do something like that, had Catra's body reacting rather enthusiastically. Too enthusiastically. 

"Fuck, Adora." They murmured. Adora felt something gently press against her thigh and based on the way Catra was stock still, with their eyes screwed shut and eyebrows furrowed, she could guess what that something was and it made her clench around nothing.

'What a wonderful time to prove you still work.'  Catra thought to themselves, trying to ignore the slight twitch of Adora's thigh. They had not been hard like this in a while and while they knew it was a possibility, they didn't exactly expect it. So, for a moment, they just stood there in silence breathing deeply through their noes, holding on to Adora's jersey for dear life.

"Catra?" Adora asked quietly. 

"I'm sorry-" They apologized, feeling a bit ashamed for not having better control over themselves. 

"Don't be, I'm kind of having the time of my life." Adora said in earnest, causing Catra to laugh incredulously.

"Glad you're having fun, weirdo." It was genuinely nice to know that Adora wasn't uncomfortable or anything but expressing her enjoyment was not exactly helping the situation at hand.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Adora offered.

"Talk about something. Anything. Uhhh...how'd you sleep?" Adora groaned.

"I honestly kind of wish I didn't sleep. I had a dream about Razz and some distant planet. It was weird and emotional and frustrating but the planet was pretty." The mention of Razz pretty much did the trick but they pair stayed put for a moment longer.

"I had a dream like that too but instead of Razz, I got a royal advisor named Cloudfoot." Catra shared after a beat of silence. 

"Weird. Was there a war in your dream too?" Adora asked with a snicker but stopped laughing when they realized Catra was far from amused.

"There was a war." They paused briefly. "A war against-" 

"The Horde?"

"The Horde"

To their horror they said the name in unison. They stood there just looking at each other with wide eyes and slack jaws, before Catra broke the silence.

"They were just dreams." They said rather unconvincingly.

"Yeah, just dreams." Adora replied in a similar tone. 

They decided to end the conversation there and silently made there way to the entrance. There was a weird energy between them, a budding discomfort stemmed from the feeling that those dreams meant more than they would have liked them to. Scorpia's shop was larger than one would think; just beyond the front door was a coat rack and a short hallway that led to a large open waiting room. There were several couches forming a semi circle around a large wooden coffee table, a small kitchenette with complimentary coffee and snacks, and an alcove off to the side with a bean bag chair and a few bins with things like headphones, older handheld gaming consoles and more stuff Catra was almost certain no one but them used. Scorpia was really passionate about creating a safe and cool space for friends and customers alike and it showed. Bow and Glimmer were seated on a large couch next to Seahawk and Mermista listening to one of Seahawk's many elaborate stories. Sitting on an armchair close to the door leading to the garage was Perfuma with her nose in a book, unbothered by the noise coming from the other side of the room. Spinerella and Netossa were in the kitchen talking and giggling over coffee, cuddled close and smiling. There was a vacant loveseat next to Bow's end of the large couch and Catra squeezed Adora's hand to get her attention and nodded over to the empty seat, Adora gave a mute okay and Catra lead them over. Truth be told they both needed a second of silence and were grateful that the other agreed. As they got closer, Bow and Glimmer turned to acknowledge them. 

"Welcome" Bow said with a genuine smile.

"Nice of you to finally join us." Glimmer teased to which Adora, like the grown woman she is, stuck her tongue out in response.

"Nice one baby, you really showed her." Catra jeered, causing Bow and Glimmer to snicker like school children. Adora smiled dopily at the praise, completely unbothered by the blatant sarcasm. The weird energy surrounding them slowly started to dissipate as the group chatted while waiting for Scorpia to emerge from the garage. Those who were unfamiliar with each other finally introduced themselves and the conversation flowed surprisingly well. After a bit of talking, the group started a game of cards but right as the dealing ended and they were about to pick up their hands, the lights flickered and went out. There were quiet gasps around the room at the sudden darkness and the sound of furniture shifting. 

"Don't panic everyone one, Scorpia has a flashlight around here somewhere." Perfuma called out assuming that the shuffling around that was heard was due to the shock of the power outage but unbeknownst to her, everyone in the group was frozen in place except for one. Moments later the door to the garage opened and Scorpia entered the room.

"Uh Perfuma, do you happen to remember where I put that flashlight?" The woman called out to her partner but before Perfuma could answer, another person spoke. 

"That will not be necessary." The voice sounded shrill with poorly contained excitement. A voice no one in the group had heard before.

"Adora?" The voice called out. Catra felt the blonde tense and squeeze their hand slightly. 

"Uh, yeah." Adora replied warily. Catra squeezed back and rubbed a thumb over her knuckles.

"You're wearing a necklace with a sword pendant on it, correct?" Adora's stomach flipped.

"Uh, correct." 

"Wonderful, stand up, take it off, then say the words: For the Honor of Grayskull." Adora squeezed Catra's hand before letting go and stood. Adora wasn't sure why she was following directions from a complete stranger, but she figured that if something bad were to happen, she'd get the brunt of it instead of anyone else. So she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and willed herself to be calm.

"For the Honor of Grayskull." The pendant in her hand began to glow in response to her words, and the light brightened as it grew into a full fledged sword. The blade hovered above her palm as if it were waiting for her to take it. 

"Perfect." The stranger exclaimed. The new source of light revealed several pairs of wide eyes and hanging jaws. The group took turns making eye contact with each other but were to stunned to speak. However, the collective stupor was interrupted by the whirring of a machine placed at the center of the coffee table. The stranger was standing next to it was wearing overalls, goggles, and working gloves. They were on the shorter side and seemed to have an obscene amount of hair which had to nullify the point of the PPE, but the groups attention was locked on the switch in their right hand and the voice recorder help up to their lips. 

"Portal Log 4: Final Phase. Operation - Bring the heirs home, starts now." Catra's heart sank as they remembered their dream and they let out a quiet,

"Fuck." They looked at Adora but her eyes were locked on the sword, mentally trying to figure out why the sword was getting brighter.

"Can someone please explain what the fuck is going on?" Glimmer called out, agitated by the building suspense and the fact that no one else in the group was asking the same question. The stranger cackled,

"If we survive this I'll tell you everything." 

"IF?!" They all said in horror, but their cries were ignored. It was too late.

As the light from the sword reached its zenith, it pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. Then, in a breathtaking moment, it expanded, engulfing everything in a blinding flash. When the light finally dimmed and faded, there was no trace of the group. The waiting room returned to its undisturbed state, with only the faintest trace of the ethereal glow of the sword lingering like a whisper of what had just occurred.