Catra woke up when she heard a squeaky sound. Looking around her vision was fuzzy as she rubbed her eyes, not fulling taking in the surroundings.
"Oh sorry, Catra. This dresser drawer is loud," Adora said
"Hey Adora," Catra said leaning backwards.
"You sleep okay?" Adora said as she took off her mud-streaked uniform.
"Kinda," Catra said as she laid back closing her eyes.
Catra crossed her arms across her chest hugging herself. She really wanted Adora to lay with her. The previous night with Adora and Lily with her, she slept better than she had in forever. She had been the least scared in forever knowing Adora was with her. That kind of sucked though. Being reminded that there was something, someone, that could make her feel even just a bit better, safer.
They both jumped when Catra's phone started vibrating on the bedside table. Catra picked it up, surprised someone was actually calling her. Who calls people? Oh, that's who.
"Hello," Catra said.
"Catra! Oh good, are you okay?" Scorpia asked.
"Yeah, I texted you this morning," Catra said.
"But I wanted to hear your voice!" Scorpia said.
Catra smiled a bit shaking her head. Scorpia was funny, and the intention was sweet.
"When are you coming back here?" Scorpia asked.
"Probably today", Catra stood up and felt very dizzy.
When she tried walking forward she stumbled and crashed into the wall grimacing. She rubbed her head, biting her lip to handle the pulsing pain in her brain. Her ears rang slightly and she ground her teeth together.
Adora came over, only half dressed with an extremely annoyed expression. She pulled the phone from Catra's hand.
"She will not be going anywhere tonight." Adora said, "She still needs to let herself heal. And as her current caretaker, she will not be going anywhere that far away when she can't even walk straight, or move without pain."
Catra felt herself pouting. "I do what I want," she Catra mumbled
Adora stuck her tongue out at Catra. Catra stuck her tongue out back at Adora.
Adora passed the phone back to her,
"You didn't tell me you were that hurt. Stay where you are and heal well. But come back soon, Entrapta is great but I really don't understand robots." Scorpia said way too loud.
"Alright, I will," Catra replied, "See you soon."
Catra hung up dropping her arm to the side almost dropping her phone in the weak grasp. Her legs also felt weak and unstable.
"She cares about you," Adora said nodding her head.
"Yeah, Scorpia is a pretty nice person."
Catra stiffly sat down on the bed she let out a hiss as a stabbing pain shot up her side. Her midriff felt hot and stung when she moved. Shutting her eyes tight she breathed through the pain, not the worst she'd ever felt.
She froze when she felt Adora's forehead lean on hers. Adora took her hands off the wound holding them tight. Catra kept her eyes closed not wanting to break the spell. She was glad now that Adora made her feel safe again. There was something that felt like magic that Adora had let her in, had wanted to help her. Bruised feelings, broken promises a life lived in fear. None of it was gone, but the warmth and the way their heartbeats synched up as they breathed together made Catra feel better than she had in such a long time. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her breathing hitched and hands shook just a bit.
Sooner than Catra wanted Adora pulled back but their fingers stayed laced together.
"I have to check the dressing on your stomach."
"Okay," Catra replied she hated that her voice sounding thick and full of emotion. She cleared her throat and breathed slow trying to get her emotions back under control.
When Adora came back with the first aid kit. She wiped tears of Catra's face without saying a word, Catra was very appreciative of that. Changing the bandage hurt more this time. The half heald site hurt way more the next day which was stupid. Adora put the box on the dresser let out a soft sigh and turned back to Catra,
"Sorry I stole your phone," Adora said
"It's fine," Catra said feeling dizzy again when she tried to move.
"How was your day? Glimmer and Lily seemed to be having a good day" Adora said sitting on the bed.
"I had an... interesting conversation with your girlfriend."
"Oh," Adora said, she looked away at the ground.
"It wasn't bad. I don't think she left pissed off at me."
"Oh, that's good. I don't want you to hate each other." Adora said relaxing back on the bed.
"Yeah." Catra leaned back next to her. She shut her eyes again. Her brain still hurt from the whole injury thing combined with stupid emotions.
"I'm sorry," Adora said, this time her voice so soft it was hard to even hear.
"For what?"
"I broke my promise. I didn't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you."
"I'm sorry too. For ya know yelling and pulling a knife on you. And because, I did, or thought I did want to hurt you. I was so angry and confused. I didn't know what I was supposed to do" Catra clenched her fingers into her palms. Hating herself for what she had felt.
"I get it. Living here with all these people. I don't understand half the time. That Ms Moon doesn't berate or manipulate her kids. Her office actually has papers and not just alcohol and cigarettes. Everything is so different. And I wanted it all so bad. I want to belong here, I want to be good enough to belong here." Adora's voice broke at the end.
"You are good enough. And I shouldn't have done that shit said those things. I left too. I was pissed and I'm still mad. I'm always mad and tired."
"I get the tired feeling. And yeah, don't do that again. It was mean, you sounded like all the people who hurt us."
Catra winced, but thinking back it was true. She had been way too good at emotionally manipulating and hurting Adora. She knew what would hurt most. It was cowardly, and she knew that. It was like this warped nightmare them fucking going at each other like that. They knew how to break the other one worse than anyone else could.
"If we ever get in a fight again. We'll both be armed. And facing each other. I won't like, destroy you emotionally."
Adora scoffed, "Sound fair. Honour among thieves right?"
"Exactly," Catra said the ghost of a smile crossing her lips.
She gazed the ceiling, the weird sticker lights on the ceiling started to glow an artificial alien yellow but were framed in the night sky that still had pink and purple dancing through it. She loved sunsets because she was a stupid sap. When they could see it from the hill it always felt like home, a world light aflame with raging reds and purples blending into the vastness of the night sky. Or even when the two of them would scribble with crayons or kinda sorta do math homework one cross-legged on the bed the other in the window seal. That sunset was always hazy from the smog the backdrop to the sprawling neighbourhood of the old fading brick buildings and apartment building with faded paint. This new light was different from the other two, dotted with the little lights in the room and filtering through giant oaks.
"I've gotta go get dinner." Adora sat up with a grunt, "I'll sneak something back here later."
"Okay," Catra replied.
She was alone again. Alone with her fear and confusion. Catra still didn't belong in this house, in this world. She didn't really want to be here either. She liked being with Adora again though. Catra knew she'd go back to work and get back into the pattern she'd been in. It would all be fine, she'd know Adora didn't totally hate her and move on. But a small part of her thought she and Adora could care for each other again, that they didn't have to say goodbye.