I suddenly felt a burst of inspiration
Also I would like to dedicate this fic to @CallistoArt as the biggest catradora shipper i know 💞
(Word count is about 900, pretty short one-shot.)
‘I’m gonna go check on Catra again.’
‘Wait, Adora-’
She heard a distant sigh as the door closed behind her. Without hesitation, she stepped in the room to a peacefully sleeping Catra, to which she stared. Until she woke up.
‘JESUS, Adora, what are you-’
‘SORRY,’ she screamed, to which Catra flinched and her fluffy little ears twitched. ‘Sorry,’ she whispered.
Adora closed her eyes and threaded her hands back into her hair.
Catra let out a shaky, little breath.
‘Um,’ Adora kneeled down next to the cot the other woman rested on.
She hung her head.
‘I just-’
Catra groaned. ‘What, Adora?’
‘I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. And if there’s anything I can do. Um…’
Catra sighed.
‘I’m fine, Adora.’ She sounded far, far away, but she was right there.
Adora clenched her jaw. She felt useless. Though, her head perked up as the word came to her.
‘I feel useless,’ she vocalized to the cat.
Catra’s face slowly grew a look of sympathy. Her breath hitched for a moment. She looked away and squeezed her eyes shut. Keeping them closed, she responded,
‘You’re not.’
Adora’s eyes widened at the reciprocation. Catra hadn’t given her anything like this since before she left the Horde, not even a semblance of reciprocation.
Adora let out a soft, sad laugh. This drew Catra back into the gaze, her brow furrowing.
‘What are you laughing at?’ She sounded almost playful.
Adora couldn’t stifle her smile.
‘You’re…’
Her heart skipped a beat, hesitating. Strangely, Catra didn’t bug her to finish.
Her eyes unfocused, staring at the edge of the bed for a moment.
‘…just…’
‘…cute,’ she slowly finished.
As she raised her head to Catra’s face, she caught a shameful blush grace the girl’s freckles. Catra sharply exhaled and turned away again. Her tail twitched.
Adora couldn’t help but giggle at her little kitty tail.
‘STOP IT,’ Catra said with a deepening blush.
Adora stood up. She asked Catra with her eyes whether she could sit alongside her, to which Catra let her. She felt warmth pulse in her heart.
Not looking at each other, the two still shared a profound connection in silence. It wasn’t until Adora carefully broke it:
‘I’m sorry I left you,’ she let out, staring at the ground.
Catra’s eyes widened in her own glance at the floor. Slowly, she turned her head, ever so gradual, she pulled Adora into another glance.
‘Thank you,’ Catra breathed. Tears threatened the backside of her eyes as a slight smile grew on her lips. She sniffled, then exhaled.
‘I never meant to leave you,’ Adora admitted, glassy-eyed.
Catra softly laughed. ‘You’re gonna cry first, aren’t you?’
‘Maybe,’ Adora chuckled back, briefly looking towards the ceiling.
‘Adora?’
‘Hm?’ she glanced back.
‘Ca..’ – she sighed – ‘Can I t- talk about something?’
‘Of course,’ she nearly cried.
Catra broke the stare and looked towards the small window on the other side of the room.
‘When you left, and I was still in the Horde… I did- so much bad. I hurt other people. I tried to hurt you. All I wanted to do was hurt. Hurt everyone and everything because I hurt so bad.’
Adora willingly listened, wide-eyed, but didn’t interrupt.
‘And you left me,’ – she sighed again, rethinking her choice of works – ‘I was left with my abuser. And she hurt me more, so I hurt people more too. I hurt Entrapta, I hurt Scorpia, and I just- god, I don’t have the words,’ she stopped.
Adora took notice of her choice to pause.
‘That’s okay, you don’t need them. You’re doing just fine.’
Catra felt a tear unwillingly drip down her cheek. She cursed to herself.
‘And I- I thought I found happiness, but it was just pain in a different color. And after everything, so much everything, then Sparkles pushed me, and I finally did one good thing. I…’
Catra moved slowly slid her hand to the left until it found Adora’s. This took the blonde by surprise, but comfortingly such. She gently squeezed the warm, fuzzy hand in hers.
Suddenly, Catra drew her hand back. ‘Um-’ She looked at Adora. This time, Adora was the one to shed a smiling tear.
‘It’s okay, Catra.’
Her name sent shivers down her spine, and her tail twitched again while her ears perked up.
Like a stray cat, Catra drew closer once again until her hand was back in Adora’s. Adora squeezed again, feeling her heart pulse along with it. Warmth flowed serenely between the two.
‘Um… that’s all,’ Catra admitted, gently removing her hand but not breaking her eyes locked with Adora’s.
Adora wiped away the couple tears on her face. ‘You sure?’ she said.
‘I’m sure,’ Catra said, calmly.
Ever so slowly, Adora stood up from the bed, smiling both to herself and to Catra as she stepped back towards the door.
‘Goodnight,’ she spoke.
Yet, she stood still for a moment, not leaving the room.
‘Wait,’ Catra blurt.
Adora turned back.
‘I… it’s late, um… and I want to watch the sunrise.’
Adora could’ve burst into tears right there.
‘…Can we do that?’
‘Yes, Catra, we can.' tears fell again as she made her way back.
Catra propped her feet up onto the bed, knees resting under her chin, and her tail curled around her.
Adora returned to her spot, still warm, and was the one to take Catra’s hand as Catra stared out the window at the faint orange glow.
It couldn’t get any more perfect. But somehow, it did. Catra uncurled her tail and slowly wrapped it around Adora’s body. It was warm and soft and everything.
As the sun rose, the two sat together in silence, sharing an indescribably intimacy.
