Even after all these months, the streets of Las Vegas never got old for Catra.

She wandered alone, her hands in the pockets of her denim jacket as she headed towards the usual place she visited almost every day. All around her, drunk couples walked towards their hotel, people headed from place to place looking to get lucky in her their own way, and cars sped up and down the streets.

Catra knew that if Chris were to see all this, he'd probably find it toxic or uncomfortable to be in. After all, on his journey, he tried to get back into society part way through, and failed upon seeing the worst aspects of it all. Namely, the way society treated the people who could barely afford to keep a roof over their heads, or the people who didn't know if they'd have a meal by the end of the day.

Vegas was far from perfect. Like much of everything else in Catra's life, it was an interaction of the ugly and beautiful.

However, for Catra, she didn't feel trapped or angry with the society around her. She never went on this journey as a middle finger to humanity. She was on this journey for a much more personal reason. It didn't stop Catra from having her opinions on the state of things, most of which Adora was very familiar with by now, but those were rarely a contribution to her reasoning behind this journey.

Catra approached a large building with flashing neon signs out the front of it. She had visited this place often. When she entered, she was greeted with two halves of the building. In one half was a large row of slot machines, and in the other half was a relatively nice restaurant. Catra decided to go to the former half, taking a seat at one of the machines.

It was almost tradition at this point to simply put in a few dollars and see how she went. As she pulled the lever, she glanced around herself. People surrounded her, most of them staring blankly at the slot machines before them, endlessly pooling in money and getting almost nothing out of it.

Catra looked at the machine before her to see a mismatch of numbers. She shrugged, only losing a few dollars as she stood up and headed to the other half of the building, where she usually spent more time.

As she sat at the restaurant, she looked around at various other areas. A few tables with other groups, the bar where people sat and drank the night away, and she even caught glimpses of a hectic kitchen. It was a busy place like always.

Soon enough, Catra saw a waitress place a drink on her table. She didn't even have to look as she smiled. "Hey Adora," Catra spoke to her waitress.

Standing over Catra was Adora, who had been working as a waitress at this building for the last few months in order to make up for the promise she kept over the canoes. She wore a white button-up shirt with a black tie, and black denim pants to match the tie as she looked down at Catra, holding a circular black plate under her arm as she put a hand on her hip. "Having a nice night?" Adora asked.

"About the same as usual," Catra responded as she took a sip from her drink, looking up at her waitress. "Job treating you okay today?"

"About the same as usual," Adora mirrored her partner's words. "Thankfully, I don't have to work here much longer. One more pay check and I think we'll be good to go. Don't get me wrong, I don't despise the job. I just don't think this kind of work is cut out for me."

"I can understand that," Catra responded. "I know you're just keeping a promise, but I do appreciate how much effort you've put into all this. It means a lot."

"Well, I've always been a firm believer in keeping my promises," Adora smiled. "Besides, I get to come home to a nice tent on the outskirts of the city with a lovely view. What's there to complain about?"

"Ever the optimist," Catra scoffed.

"Anyway…" Adora pulled out a small notebook. "What can I get you on this lovely evening?"

"I guess I'll have the usual," Catra shrugged. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, really."

"I appreciate it," Adora said as she wrote Catra's usual order of salmon in her notebook. "I'll be back with your order soon, ma'am," Adora teased.

Catra could only chuckle as Adora went back into the kitchen. At first, the job seemed to exhaust her greatly, and Catra even suggested at one point that she didn't have to go so far to make up for the canoe money. But Adora was determined to make up for the lost money, and she was as stubborn as a mule when it came to paying Catra back.

In a way, Catra admired Adora's sheer tenacity.

As Catra looked around the restaurant, her eyes rested on one table in particular. She saw two people, one woman with a slim body, freckles on her cheek, waist-length blonde hair and brown eyes. The other person was a man in a messy suit and almost bald hair, who seemed to be talking at the woman, but not with her.

Catra narrowed her eyes, and she could see that the woman was visibly uncomfortable. She looked down at the table before her, her eyebrows low and her mouth curved into a frown. Somehow, the man talking at her failed to notice of her body language. It didn't take long for Catra to realize what was going on.

She got out of her seat, going over to the table. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt like there was a frog in her throat, but nonetheless, Catra sat at the table next to the woman. "Hey, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Catra said to the woman, despite knowing next to nothing about her.

Catra made eye contact with the woman. It was only a few seconds, but it was all that was needed as she saw the woman almost immediately untense her shoulders. "Do you two know each other or something?" The messy man asked, pointing between Catra and the woman.

"Yes!" The woman immediately answered. "This is my friend. We were just about to pay the bill and leave, weren't we?" The woman said to Catra, putting a hand on her arm.

"Sounds about right," Catra replied. She looked to the man with an intense gaze. Not so much a glare, but more a prolonged, unblinking stare in an attempt to make him uncomfortable. And thankfully, it seemed to have worked.

"Right… I guess I'll get out of your hair then. It was nice meeting you," the man said to the woman, to which she only returned with a small wave. The man hesitated a bit more, but eventually, he walked over to the slot machines.

Almost instantly, the woman let out a long, deep breath as she looked up to Catra. "Thank you so, so much. I thought he'd never leave me alone," the woman said to Catra.

"I'm just thankful I caught sight of it when I did. Are you here alone or something?" Catra asked her.

"Thankfully, no. My girlfriend, Scorpia, is just off paying for our food. He basically came in as soon as she left, and I'm not all too good with conflict. I wanted to tell him to go away, but…" The woman sighed. "I suppose I should've seen it coming."

"Hey, don't say that," Catra shook her head. "Just because that shit happens doesn't mean it should be the norm. He should've realized he was making you uncomfortable and left. It's not your fault. Do you want me to stay with you until your girlfriend gets back?"

"If… that's alright. You've truly done more than enough for me," the woman responded. "Oh! I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Perfuma."

"Catra. You enjoying your time here, despite that shitty situation?" She asked, resting her elbows on the table.

"Oh, absolutely! Truthfully, I'm not sure if I would like it here alone, but being here with Scorpia has been amazing. We've only been here for a few days," Perfuma explained. "Scorpia actually won the trip for us here thanks to a competition she entered on a whim. How lucky is that?"

"That sounds pretty cool," Catra replied. "I'm just here with a friend of mine. We're, uh… on a road trip of sorts."

"Oh, I've always wanted to go on one of those!" Perfuma beamed.

As they talked, Catra suddenly spotted another figure approaching them. A woman taller than almost anyone in the building, with a strong physique and short, white hair. She gave about an intimidating aura as she stared down at Catra.

"Uh… Who are you?" The tall woman said to Catra, but immediately, Catra felt Perfuma wrap her hands around her left arm.

"This is Catra! She just helped me out a few minutes ago when some guy wouldn't leave me alone," Perfuma explained. She looked to Catra, pointing to the tall woman. "This is Scorpia, my girlfriend I was telling you about."

"Wait, wait, what happened?" Scorpia asked as she sat next to Perfuma. "You okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry. It was just a really, really awkward and uncomfortable situation. I thought I'd be stuck talking to him until you came over, and even then, if he learned we were girlfriends, he might not have believed us…" Perfuma sighed, but soon, she had a smile on her face. "But then comes Catra, pretending to be my friend, and she gets him to go away!"

Scorpia gasped slightly, before grabbing Perfuma's hand. "I am so sorry I wasn't here! I should've been quicker at paying, I just got all muddled up when it came to using the credit card and… Oh, Perfuma, I'm sorry. I should've been here."

"Hey…" Perfuma rested her hand on Scorpia's cheek, and soon, she moved in and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "It's okay. I don't blame you one bit for it, alright?"

Scorpia squeezed Perfuma's hand a little tighter, before she turned to Catra. "I… don't know how to thank you. Normally I'd just give you a hug, but I don't think that could really make up for how much you helped us tonight. I was always scared of something like that happening."

"Really, you don't have to thank me or repay me for anything," Catra waved her hands in dismissal. "We've just got to look out for each other, and I'm glad I caught the situation when I did. That's all. You two being safe is really all the thanks I'll need."

You're too kind," Perfuma smiled at Catra. "But I think Scorpia and I would feel terrible if we didn't do something. In fact… I think I've got an idea."

"What is it?" Scorpia asked her girlfriend. Perfuma placed a gentle hand on Scorpia's arm.

"Well, when we won this trip, wasn't it meant to be for four people?" Perfuma asked Scorpia.

"Yeah, but we didn't know which two other people to bring along," Scorpia said, remembering the situation.

"Well, apparently Catra here brought along a friend as well. So…" Perfuma tilted her head, and Scorpia immediately knew what she was getting at. She didn't hesitate to nod, agreeing with Perfuma's plan.

"What? What's the situation?" Catra asked as Perfuma turned to face her.

"Well, thanks to this trip we won, we got to stay in this really nice five-star hotel down the road. It's got so many floors, and the rooms are incredible. This trip won us two double rooms, but since we couldn't find two other people to bring along, one of those rooms is empty. But since you and your friend are here… Well, I don't know where you're staying, but we'd like to offer you a night in that other double room," Perfuma said. "It would only be for tonight, since we leave tomorrow, but…"

Catra couldn't believe her luck. This couple she had ran into was now giving her a chance to stay in not only a warm room for the night, a luxury Catra hadn't received in a while, but it was also a high-quality, five-star room. Something Catra only ever dreamed of staying in.

Catra could barely open her mouth to respond. She was stunned by the opportunity, and her voice had almost ceased to function. Perfuma's eyes narrowed in worry. "You don't have to if you don't want to… We just…"

"N… No, no, no!" Catra interrupted. "I'm just… Are you serious? You're offering us a room?"

"Like I said, it would only be for tonight, but… It's one of the highest rated hotels in Vegas, and you really helped us out so much tonight," Perfuma said. Those words confirmed in Catra's mind that she didn't mishear Perfuma. This was a legitimate offer to stay in somewhere other than a tent for the first time in nearly half a year. The last time they got this chance was in Texas.

Catra looked over to Adora, who was busy putting food on other people's tables. She'd receive her pay check tonight, and Catra had already planned to leave Vegas by tomorrow or the next day, so if anything, this could be considered an award for her travel partner after all the work put in.

With that in mind, Catra turned to Perfuma with a grin. "We'd love to!"

"And where do you think you're going?"

As Adora left her workplace for the last time, having just quit after receiving her last pay check, she couldn't help but feel a little ecstatic that she was finally free from that labor for now. She counted the notes in her hand, smiling all the while.

As she left, she suddenly heard a familiar voice speak, and looked over her shoulder to see Catra leaning against the wall just beside the front entrance. Adora pocketed her money as she looked at her partner. "I was heading back to the tent. I thought you'd be there by now."

"Nah. I've packed all our gear," Catra nodded to Adora's pack on the ground beside herself.

"We're… leaving already?" Adora cocked her head to the side. "I mean… I appreciate you packing our gear, but I really don't feel up to walking right now, Catra… Work has me wiped."

"I know. We're not going anywhere tonight, don't worry," Catra shook her head as she handed Adora her pack. "But I've got a surprise for you. Just follow me, alright?"

"If you say so…" Adora mumbled, grabbing her pack and following her partner in the opposite direction of where they usually camped. Catra seemed a lot more energetic than usual, and Adora wasn't sure whether to be happy or nervous about that.

The two travellers wandered for a few minutes down the streets of Vegas, and towards a more luxurious part of the city. Adora was a tad worried that all the money she had been saving up for the last few months was about to all disappear in the blink of an eye, but knowing Catra, that likely wasn't the case.

As Adora dodged a few people, she suddenly saw Catra gestured towards a large, five-star hotel. "Adora… Allow me to introduce you to our home for the night," Catra said with a grin.

Adora wondered if Catra was pointing somewhere else. She looked around, but ultimately, she realized she wasn't going blind. "That hotel? Isn't a stay there, like… thousands of dollars?" Adora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes… But tonight, I made a few new friends who had won a couple of rooms in that very hotel. But due to some circumstances, they currently occupy one, whilst the other is empty," Catra put a hand on Adora's shoulder. "And tonight, that empty room will be our domain."

"Are… Are you serious?" Adora chuckled. "Really?"

"Adora, you have worked… insanely hard for the last few months. And frankly, I think you deserve some compensation at the end of it all. So consider this," Catra pointed to the hotel, "your reward."

"I…" Adora struggled to find the words to express how she felt as she shook her head. "I just… Are you sure? Shouldn't someone, like… more deserving of us get the room? Maybe someone less fortunate than us? It just… feels wrong."

"Oh, Adora…" Catra sighed. She took a step towards her partner. "You've really got an empathetic heart for others," Catra said as she placed a hand on Adora's shoulder. "It's super annoying."

"Yeah, I know… It's just… I guess I feel selfish," Adora scratched the back of her head, looking at the floor. "Sorry. I know I should be grateful. It's just… Seeing all the people without homes and such in these last few months… I guess I just want to do something for them."

"I know, Adora… I feel the same way. Trust me," Catra replied. "You know, I actually made a promise to myself about a year back. Once this journey is done, any leftover money I have that I saved up for the journey is going to go to people that need it more than me. I was waiting to tell you that until after the journey was over, but… There you go. Does that sound good to you?"

"… I actually really like that idea," Adora smiled.

"I just really want to do something for you here, okay? I can tell when you're exhausted, and you have been occasionally for the last few months. So think of this as my way of thanking you. Not just for the trip but for… Well, everything," Catra replied as they walked towards the large hotel.

"Catra…" Adora spoke softly, smiling as she looked down at her partner. Catra soon approached the front desk, and Adora looked around the large lobby, a water fountain in the middle of it all. The marble floor gave off her reflection, and the soft couches could almost serve as beds themselves.

Soon enough, Catra came back with the keys for their room, jingling them in her hand with a smile on her face. "We're on one of the top floors with a pretty amazing view of the city. You ready?" Catra said with a grin.

"I'm just ready for a soft bed," Adora replied as she followed Catra towards the large elevator. The elevator was made almost entirely of glass, meaning Adora could look out to the city as it slowly began to rise multiple floors. It was dizzying, but oddly beautiful as well.

The neon signs, lights and cars gave off a sense of humanity as Adora looked down on Las Vegas. The city she had been watching from afar at day, and working in by night. Now she was going to spend one last night in the center of it all.

When the elevator reached one of the top floors, the doors soon opened to a nice hallway with a soft carpet. Adora followed behind Catra to their room, which wasn't too far down the hallway. She slid the key inside the lock of the door, and opened it up.

"Holy shit," Catra gawked at the room before them. Two large beds, surrounded by an almost movie-like TV screen. On the back wall was a large window, revealing the city beneath them. The room was almost too massive as Catra circled around, looking all over.

"I don't think we'd be able to afford this in years," Adora said quietly as she looked around the room. She approached one of the beds, and soon, flopped face-first onto it. "Ish sho shoft!" She spoke, her voice mumbled by the bed.

"You doofus," Catra chuckled as she looked at her partner. She soon put her pack down, stretching her arms above her head. "Alright… First things first, I'm going to have a hot shower. I haven't been able to do that in ages."

"I keep telling you, sprinklers are a great substitute!" Adora raised a finger, smirking at her partner. Catra didn't even bother to answer as she stepped towards the bathroom.

All around her was practically white marble, with a mirror larger than any she had ever seen, and a shower with an unnecessary amount of room. There was also a single bath with room for two, but Catra decided she didn't need to use that tonight.

Once Catra had stripped her clothes, she entered the shower and slowly turned it on. She was surprised just how much room there was in the shower, but more importantly, she was glad just how warm it was. Being able to wash herself properly after all these months was absolute bliss.

She ran her hands through her messy hair, feeling flakes and dirt wash out for the first time in ages. It wasn't the prettiest sight, but she felt absolutely incredible once she had cleaned herself up just a bit. Mostly, she just wanted the dirt and gunk off herself.

As Catra washed her arm, she couldn't help but think of just how far this journey had come. The partner she had travelled with was a stranger only half a year ago, and now she was her dearest friend, and someone she wanted to be with for life.

But she wasn't sure if she wanted to be with Adora in a friendly way or something more. Catra had practically already accepted she had a crush on Adora. She was just stuck in a state of how to progress things. After all, she didn't even know if Adora was into women. Catra felt like asking her out would be putting unnecessary pressure on her.

And yet, her heart screamed at her to do it. There was no guarantee that she'd be with Adora forever after this journey, and the opportunity might be lost once they left Alaska and finished things up. Catra knew she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

It was a battle between what she wanted to do, and the real consequences that may come with it.

Catra soon cut the shower after a few minutes. She stepped out, but soon found that, despite the luxurious state of the bathroom, it was missing one thing. "Hey Adora!" Catra called out. "Is there towels in there?"

"Yeah! Do you need some?" Adora asked.

"Please!"

A few seconds passed, and soon enough, the doorknob turned. The bathroom door creaked open just a tad, and Adora's hand slid through the small gap, holding a towel in her hand. Catra was thankful that Adora respected her privacy, but in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if Adora saw her naked.

"Thanks," Catra said, taking the towel and drying herself off, including her messy hair. Once she had rubbed the towel vigorously on the top of her head, she looked up and into the mirror to see herself.

It had been a while since Catra looked into the mirror. Almost half a year now. Who she was now was way different than back then. She noticed her eyes were a little bit more open, and her mouth was curved upwards a tad more. Small changes, but they all added up.

Catra never really liked looking at herself in the mirror. But today, she took a few seconds to admire the person looking back at her.

Catra soon emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body as she went for her pack. She noticed Adora had taken the time to put on a long, white gown, and she had taken her hair down from its familiar ponytail. She looked completely and utterly relaxed.

"That was probably one of the best showers I've ever had," Catra sighed as Adora instinctively looked away, giving Catra time to drop the towel and get her own white robe from the closet. "You should really try it out whenever you can."

"I will. Promise," Adora replied as Catra dressed herself as comfortably as she could. Catra saw one bed was empty and ready for her, but at the same time, there was also room next to Adora on her bed. And it seemed like she was scrolling through a list of movies.

"You trying to find something to watch?" Catra asked, trying to drive away attention from the fact that she just sat down next to Adora on her bed.

But Adora definitely noticed.

"Yeah. Just a movie before we sleep, I guess," Adora shrugged. "It's been a while since I've had the time to watch something. I used to do it every Friday after school. It's almost like a distant memory now."

"Do you miss it?" Catra asked as Adora decided on a fun, animated movie with a few heavy emotions strewn throughout. Adora leaned over, flicking off the lights in the room. All that was left were the lights of the city shining through the window, and the beaming TV screen.

"I guess so. The comforts of life… I suppose you never really appreciate them until they're gone, huh?" Adora chuckled. "But at the same time… I'd do it all over again for this journey. This has changed my life. I know we're only halfway there but… I think you've helped me become a better version of myself. I know tonight was meant to be as a thanks to me, but… I want to thank you too, Catra."

The two adventurers looked at each other with heart-warming smiles in that dark room. It was nothing but the neon signs, the screen, and their eyes, sparkling as they looked into each other's. Catra's smile slowly faded, and Adora's did the same.

And more than ever, in that moment, they wanted to kiss each other.

Catra's body moved on its own. She reached up, and without thinking, placed a hand on Adora's cheek. Adora gasped slightly at the warm touch, and she wasn't sure how to react. She didn't hate it. In fact, she really, really liked it.

Adora felt her heart rate pick up almost immediately. She looked at her partner, and she began to notice that the distance between them was slowly closing. What did this mean? Neither of them knew what the other wanted. They didn't know how the other felt.

Adora realized that, right here, she could seal her first kiss. She could simply take Catra's lips with her own, and enter a whole new world. But why should she do that? Why should she overstep her boundaries and ruin everything after all this time? Adora had to beat down her heart, and quiet her senses.

And so, they met. Their foreheads pressed against the other. And they closed their eyes.

Adora felt close with Catra. Catra felt close with Adora.

They loved each other. And yet the words never came.