"One of these days, you're going to have to come out, Adora!"
"Give me a break! This is the first warm shower I've had in so long!"
Catra stood by the entrance of their hotel room, waiting on her partner. She had her own pack strapped around her shoulders, and she was about ready to leave. All that hindered her was Adora, who had been showering for the last fifteen minutes.
Perfuma and Scorpia had woken them about an hour ago to let them know that they had to leave soon as per the reservations. Catra couldn't help but admit she was glad to be getting to some place new. Being stuck in Vegas for so long had made her feel both claustrophobic and nervous.
The empty roads out of Vegas would be a challenge, but Catra had already taken the liberty of preparing her and Adora for the long journey. From here, it was a straight shot into South Dakota, and then all the way to their final destination of Alaska.
These straight shots could prove to be the longest parts of the journey, or the shortest. That depended entirely on their luck when it came to freight trains, public transportation and hitchhiking. Catra hoped they wouldn't have to walk the entire way.
Eventually, Catra heard the shower finally cut. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Adora emerged, dried and fully clothed as she stretched her arms above her head and let out a yawn. "You happy now?" Adora asked.
"Very much so. Now come on," Catra pushed Adora's pack towards her as they headed for the entrance. Adora did a quick scan to make sure they hadn't left anything behind as Catra opened the door.
And immediately, she was greeted with Scorpia and Perfuma waiting outside.
"Oh… Uh, hey guys," Catra gave a small wave to the couple.
"We can't thank you enough for the room. It means a lot," Adora put her chin on Catra's shoulder, looking at Scorpia and Perfuma with a beaming smile.
"Ah, it was nothing… Really, you two are amazing," Scorpia returned, scratching the back of her head.
"Are you here to send us off?" Catra asked.
"Actually…" Perfuma looked to hr girlfriend, and she gave a small nod. Slowly, the two of them turned to face Catra and Adora. "We were hoping to extend another offer to the two of you."
"Another one?" Adora raised an eyebrow. "You really, really don't have to… You've done more than enough for us. We don't want to trouble you."
"No, that's the thing! It's no trouble at all!" Scorpia grinned.
"We were thinking about this road trip the two of you are on. And we talked, and we realized that it was something we both wanted to do as well. So we decided that this holiday of ours isn't quite over…" Perfuma explained.
"We got a van!" Scorpia finished, followed by a series of chuckles as Perfuma could only blush, smiling upon hearing the beautiful sound of her girlfriend's laughter. "It's huge too! There's so much room!"
"That…" Catra looked to Adora, and she was met with a small wink from the blonde woman. "That sounds awesome! Where are you two headed?"
"We're actually thinking of heading up east towards Colorado," Perfuma said as she held Scorpia's hand in her own, leaning her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "And if that's where you two are going, well… We wanted to bring you along as well! But we don't exactly know what the path is for you two, so if it's inconvenient…"
"Well… Our next destination is South Dakota, right?" Adora asked, looking to her travel partner.
"Yeah, but Colorado is actually pretty damn close. We'd be like… a little over halfway there," Catra replied. After the small exchange, it didn't take long for Adora and Catra to give a small nod to each other. Soon, Catra turned to Scorpia and Perfuma with a smile. "We'll take the offer."
"Oh, great!" Scorpia clapped her hands in excitement as Perfuma put on a warm smile. "Look at us! Two sets of girlfriends on the road!"
"Oh, we're not…" Adora felt her entire face flush red, and Catra was almost the exact same as she cleared her throat, feeling her heart almost stop.
"Scorpia, I told you they were just friends!" Perfuma put her hands on her hip, pouting up at Scorpia, who could only return with an awkward chuckle.
"Right… Sorry about that, you two…" Scorpia apologized, but neither Adora or Catra could get out any words as they did their very best to avoid eye contact with anything and anyone, less they reveal their true feelings.
"Well… If you're ready, then we've already got the van parked underneath the hotel," Perfuma spoke, trying to break the awkward silence. Catra took a deep breath, trying to push through the moment and put on a grin for Perfuma, no matter how weak it may have looked.
"Yeah, we're all set to hit the road," Catra spoke. Adora looked up as well, and gave a similar smile.
"Thank you two again. We're really grateful," Adora spoke. Scorpia looked between the two of them, and saw how similar their smiles were. How much they connected, and how much they looked after each other. Scorpia didn't say anything, but she could only give a teasing smile to Perfuma as she nodded to the two travellers.
Perfuma could only sigh and walk, but internally, she was having the exact same thoughts as Scorpia: That there was something more going on between Adora and Catra, even if they didn't know it themselves.
And so eventually, the four of them took the long elevator down to the underground parking lot.
The early morning sun shined on a hungover Las Vegas. It was nowhere near as alive as the previous night, but even then, it still had a sense of deep humanity within. Like a sleeping giant awaiting its time to go wild.
Eventually, the elevator doors opened to a dark underground carpark, where Catra's footsteps echoed all throughout. The four of them approached a rather rundown looking van. "It's not the most expensive, but… I think it'll do," Perfuma said as Scorpia opened the driver side door.
"If it can take us halfway across the country, I say price be damned," Catra replied as she opened the large, sliding door on the side. There was a heap of room within the van, with only a sofa against the left side of the van and one mattress in the corner. There was two normal seats with seatbelts right behind the driver and passenger seat, but apart from that, it was almost completely empty.
Catra threw her pack in and jumped into the van, taking a seat on the sofa. Adora followed, taking her seat on the mattress as Perfuma got into the passenger side seat next to her girlfriend. Scorpia adjusted the rear-view mirror, looking at the travellers behind them. "You two ready to take off?" Scorpia asked.
Catra laid back on the sofa and flashed a thumbs-up. "Ready, boss," Catra said in a teasing tone. Scorpia looked to Perfuma for a few seconds, before putting the key in the ignition and bringing the old van to life.
Eventually, Scorpia gently pressed her foot against the pedal. The van handled relatively good in her hands as it slowly began to accelerate onto its long journey east.
Adora looked out the window to her side to see the van slowly emerge from the carpark and into the morning streets of Vegas. A bright yellow hue mixed with the orange desert as the van slowly headed towards Colorado.
Halfway down. Halfway to go.
Adora awoke to the moonlight shining in her eyes.
She laid on the mattress, her hands rested on her stomach as she blinked. She had no idea how long she had been sleeping for, but she remembered that Scorpia had pulled over for a small nap before she conked out.
However, Adora felt the van slowly rock around. She looked up to see Scorpia driving again. The dash read the time as five in the morning. They had been on the road for nearly twenty-four hours at this rate.
Adora sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she looked over to Catra on the couch, still deep in sleep. Adora tilted her neck from side to side, cracking out the aches that had been building up from her sleeping position. "Morning," she heard Scorpia whisper.
"You sleep okay?" Perfuma followed, looking over her shoulder to see Adora. The blonde woman stood up, going to the seat behind the driver and peering her head in between the two of them to look at the road ahead.
"As best as I could," Adora replied to Perfuma.
"We're pretty close to Colorado. We're going to try and find a safe place for you two to get some transport to South Dakota. Don't want to leave you stranded," Scorpia chuckled.
"We really appreciate it," Adora said. She felt like she was repeating herself too much, but she honestly couldn't find any other words to say. This couple had managed to save them from weeks of walking.
"Hey, so… Perfuma and I were talking while you two were asleep," Scorpia said as she kept her eye on the road. "We've been wondering about you two. Can't help but be curious, you know? Just… Well, to be blunt, what's got you on this road trip? Where'd you come from?"
"Don't feel like you have to answer," Perfuma interjected, but Adora waved a dismissive hand.
"It's cool," Adora said. "We're both from Atlanta originally, though I only met Catra about a week before we left for this trip."
"Seriously?" Scorpia asked. "The way you two act, I'd have assumed you'd be lifelong friends or something. How long have you been on this trip?"
"About half a year. We've been through a lot together. Sometimes it feels like we have been through a lifetime together," Adora explained, looking over to the sleeping Catra. She smiled upon seeing her resting, adorable face.
"I, uh… I have to apologize for what I said earlier," Scorpia stammered out after a few seconds. "I assumed you two were a couple and I could tell that made things uncomfortable. I'm sorry about that. My brain is sometimes miles behind my mouth."
"Oh, Scorpia, you didn't have to apologize," Adora replied. She looked to Catra yet again, before letting out a long sigh. "Besides… You weren't far off."
"You two are together? Catra told me you were friends," Perfuma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We are friends. But… I… Look, can I trust you two to keep a secret?" Adora asked the two of them.
"We're probably going to be splitting off from you two in a few hours. Whatever you say to us, stays with us," Scorpia promised. Adora looked over to Catra one more time just to make sure she was asleep, before taking in a long, deep breath.
She looked to the moon for a few more seconds. And spoke those words.
"I'm… I'm in love with her."
Immediately, a wave of tingles and comfort struck Adora all at once. It was the first time she had ever said those words. They'd been building for half a year, and getting them out felt like removing a giant boulder off her shoulders.
"And she doesn't know?" Scorpia asked. Adora gave a small nod.
"Back when we were in Texas, we had a talk about sexuality and all that," Adora explained. "I know she's lesbian. But back then, I had absolutely no idea what I could've called myself. I think I just confused her more than anything… But now I know for sure. I know what to call myself."
Perfuma looked to Adora. She didn't try to force the words out. Coming out was an act done of one's own will, and Perfuma understood very well that Adora needed to do it in her own time. And so, they gave Adora a few seconds as she took a breath.
"… Yeah. I'm… I'm a lesbian," Adora said for the first time in her life.
And suddenly, it all felt clear.
Obviously, it was just a label. To some, it would mean nothing. But to Adora, it felt like everything had cleared up. Her mind was a little less hazy, and her heart was beginning to make more sense. "I… I guess I should tell Catra that soon. In case she… returns the feelings…" Adora shook her head. "Who am I kidding… Why would she ever love someone like me?"
"Hey, don't say that," Scorpia shook her head. "I can tell Catra really cares about you."
"I guess… But all I've done is drag her down on this journey. The whole reason we stayed in Vegas for so long was because of my stupidity. I know Catra must be at least annoyed because of that," Adora said. She felt a weight of guilt begin to build in her stomach, but soon enough, she felt Perfuma's hand placed over her own.
"I can only assume so much… But I think Catra sees something in you that's more than just your mistakes," Perfuma said softly. "I don't think she minds where she goes… As long as she's with you. Of course, I'm only taking a guess. But… It's similar to how I feel about Scorpia."
Adora looked between the couple, and slowly, she leaned back, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry for dumping that on you two so suddenly… My feelings are a fucking mess and I kinda spilt them on you two," Adora apologized.
"Adora, the journey towards love and self-discovery can be a long and complex one. But having a helping hand along the way can make all the difference," Perfuma said, smiling and placing a hand on Scorpia's strong arm. "Back when I was going through my transition, Scorpia was always there for me. She helped me through the journey of discovering my true self."
Scorpia slowly took Perfuma's hand in her own, placing a kiss on the top of her hand as she kept her eyes on the road. Adora couldn't help but feel a soft flutter in her heart at the cuteness of these two. "I can tell you're both perfect for each other," Adora said.
"She's my everything," Scorpia replied.
"We're not saying you should come out to Catra immediately. That's your own choice," Perfuma explained. "But if you ever need a helping hand on this long journey… I think she'd be more than willing to help. After all, I assume she might have gone through a similar journey of self-discovery."
"… Thanks, you two," Adora replied as she sat back on the mattress. "I guess it's hard, since… Well, she's the reason I even made this whole discovery in the first place. What we've been through together… The way she smiles… The way she's always so focused on what comes next…" Adora soon buried her face in her hands, letting out a groan. "Fuck… Now I know what the phrase 'useless lesbian' means… I've already become one."
Perfuma let out a warm chuckle. "We're here to talk if you need any more help or comfort, Adora. At least before we reach Colorado, alright?"
Adora nodded, and Perfuma turned to face the front window. Adora looked out to the sky, seeing the stars slowly disappear as the world lit up. Morning rolled around, and a new day emerged on this journey.
Adora's adventure begun with a goal of Alaska. But now she was beginning to realize that this journey was taking on a different meaning for herself.
"You two are sure you're going to be alright?"
Catra swung her pack over her shoulder as she exited the van, placing her feet on solid ground for the first time in over a day. The van had arrived in its first small town since arriving at Colorado, and Cara had suggested this be the place where they part ways.
"We should be fine. We'll see what other transport we can find from here once we get a map," Catra replied as Adora closed the sliding door of the van.
"We really hope we can see you again one day," Perfuma said. That was all that was needed for Adora to slowly approach her for a hug, wrapping her arms around Perfuma's shoulders and holding her close, and receiving the same treatment.
Catra was instead met with the biggest bear hug from Scorpia, who almost picked her up from the ground as she held her. Catra could barely return the hug, much less lift her arms thanks to Scorpia's overwhelming strength. "You best be safe!" Scorpia said after letting Catra go.
"Will do…" Catra panted, trying to recover some oxygen after having it all squeezed out of her lungs.
"You have our number! Let us know when you get home!" Perfuma beamed. Adora gave a small nod.
"Until next time, alright?" Adora gave a small wave. As she and Catra began to walk off, Scorpia and Perfuma waved them all the goodbyes they could.
And then, they were separate.
"So what's our first course of action?" Adora asked as Catra looked around the small town. The two of them heard the engine of the van kick to life again as Scorpia and Perfuma drove off into the opposite direction.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm fucking starved," Catra stretched her arms above her head as her eyes locked onto a nearby diner.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Adora sighed as she felt her stomach rumble. After all, they had plenty of cash to spare now, so the two of them decided that some diner food was well worth it.
Adora and Catra crossed the street and entered the diner. The smell of the diner gave Adora a sense of nostalgia for a memory she never had. The quiet music from the jukebox and smell from the kitchen almost made Adora feel like a young kid again.
"I'll find us a seat. I think you know what I want," Adora said to Catra, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Pancakes and syrup coming right up," Catra replied with a smirk as Adora turned towards the row of colorful benches to sit at.
And immediately, Adora felt her whole body freeze with shock as her eyes rested on Glimmer and Bow sitting at one of the booths.
They hadn't seemed to have noticed her. They were focused on the food in front of them. But in that moment, Adora had an almost out of body experience. It had been over six months since she had last seen her best friends. They had graduated. They were probably in college by now.
Slowly, Adora walked over to the booth. It didn't take long for Glimmer to realize someone was staring at them, and when she looked up into Adora's eyes, her fork dropped from her hand, smashing against the ground as she suddenly stood up.
"A… Adora?!" Glimmer spoke, flabbergasted. Bow's head suddenly spun around, and all three of them were almost completely frozen for a few moments as their hearts began to race.
It was Bow who immediately leapt into Adora's arm.
Glimmer soon followed, and Adora wrapped her strong arms around her best friends as she hugged them. Everyone in the diner was looking at them, but they didn't care.
"Let me look at you," Glimmer gasped, backing off and looking at Adora. She could see the scratches and bruises that had been building up, despite the shower yesterday. But more importantly, she could see that Adora's eyes were brighter than ever.
"What are you two doing here?" Adora asked them.
"We're on mid-year break from college. We took a holiday together up here. Glimmer told me she wanted to come to this place, but she never told me why," Bow chuckled as he put an arm around the short woman. "Did you know Adora would be here?"
"My gut did, I guess. I just… felt like I had to come here," Glimmer smiled. The two of them invited Adora to sit at their booth, since there was enough room for four people. "Where's your partner?" Glimmer asked as she took a seat next to Bow.
Right on cue, Catra walked over with a few hot plates in her hand. One of them was stacked high with pancakes, whilst the other had crispy bacon and scrambled eggs on a piece of toasted sourdough bread. "I see we've got a happy reunion here," Catra chuckled as she sat next to her partner.
"You two are in college now?" Adora asked.
"We enrolled in the same one! How lucky is that?" Bow asked as Adora dug into her food.
"I think you actually helped us out with exams," Glimmer said to Adora. "After you went missing, the school went crazy. We got pulled out of our exams to talk to the police of all things. But we got to do it at a later date, which means I could have more time to cram."
"The… The police talked to you?" Adora asked, her eyes wide. She noticed Catra's face had turned into a frown upon mention of the law, though she kept going at her food nonetheless.
"You're labelled as missing, Adora. Your parents freaked out for a while, but now… I think they're just sad," Bow explained as Adora looked at the table before her.
"So now they care…" Adora scoffed.
"Adora… How long are you going to be gone for? A lot of people at the school miss you. We miss you…" Bow said.
"I know, I know… But…" Adora looked to Catra, and then to her friends. She let out a sigh. "This journey… has meant so, so much to me. I've found a happiness I haven't had for a while… And I'm not going to quit halfway. From here, we're heading to South Dakota, and then to Alaska. And… then we'll be back."
"Maybe," Catra mumbled.
Glimmer looked to Catra for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?" Glimmer asked.
"Maybe we don't feel like coming back into the hands of a bunch of fucking pigs?" Catra spoke with venom in her voice. Adora put a hand on Catra's shoulder. Catra looked to her partner for a few seconds. Eventually, she let out a sigh. "Look… I'm not going to take away your friend or whatever. But it doesn't help knowing that we're not exactly going to get a warm welcome once this is all over."
"I get it," Bow replied to her. "Look, we can't force anything on you two. And we are being selfish. But we miss our friend. And we just want her to be safe."
Catra looked at her food for a few moments. Eventually, she shook her head. "You're not being selfish. Frankly, your short friend scared the shit out of me before we left. So… I'm obligated to return Adora once this is all over. We just… might need to figure something out," Catra said to Bow.
Almost immediately, Bow turned to Glimmer with a frown. "Did you threaten Catra before they left?" Bow asked, and Glimmer could only scratch the back of her head as she chuckled awkwardly.
"Maybe a little…" Glimmer said, but as she looked to Catra, she was met with a raised eyebrow. "… Okay, I may have threatened to kill her if something happened to Adora."
"You may have?" Adora asked. There was a silence between the four of them for a few moments, before eventually, Catra melted into a few snickers. This turned into the four of them joining into a series of chuckles. Above all else, this was a reunion that three of them had been waiting for.
And for Catra, she was just glad Adora was smiling.
"You know…" Bow chuckled. "If you're heading to South Dakota after this, we might be able to help you out."
"Really?" Adora asked. She looked to see Glimmer dig around in her own pockets, before raising a set of keys.
"Yours truly finally got herself a license and a hand-me-down car," Glimmer boasted. "We can get you the rest of the way there, though we might not be able to get you to Alaska."
"Just South Dakota is fine!" Catra perked up. She looked to Adora, the two of them barely being able to believe their luck.
"Road trip with the best friends squad!" Bow hooted, and Adora burst into laughter at hearing her friend's positive voices once again. "Oh, Adora, I've got something to show you in Glimmer's car! I've been working on a script for that show we made up as kids to turn it into a cartoon!"
Adora immediately shot up out of her seat. "Super Flying Nacho Girl?!" Adora asked, and Bow gave an enthusiastic nod. "Let me see this wonderful creation!" Adora beamed, and Bow almost ran out of the diner, Adora following behind him.
"They're a couple of dorks," Glimmer chuckled as Catra watched Adora and Bow run together. She noticed Adora had already managed to finish her meal. She didn't realize Adora was THAT hungry.
As Catra returned to her food, Glimmer spoke up. "I've actually been wondering something for a while now," Glimmer said.
Catra looked up. "What's that?"
"Well, the whole school was covered in missing posters for Adora for a while. And the news spread around town like crazy," Glimmer explained. She soon leaned forward and looked directly into Catra's eyes. "But I didn't hear a single peep about you. Not even a poster."
Catra immediately looked away from Glimmer's questioning eyes, knowing that Glimmer had discovered something that she was trying to keep hidden from Adora. "Look…" Glimmer sighed. "I can tell you do care about Adora. I can tell this journey means a lot to you. I don't think you have some secret plot to kidnap Adora going on. After all, she's been writing to us frequently. So I'm not about to turn you in or whatever. Dealing with police is the absolute last thing I want to do in my lifetime. I always feel uneasy around them."
Catra looked out the window for a few more seconds, before looking back at Glimmer, feeling a bit more comfortable. "Then what do you want to know?" Catra asked.
"Well… Do you have a family? Are you even from Atlanta?" Glimmer asked. Catra looked out towards Adora for a few more seconds. She saw her beaming smile. Her bright eyes. Her long hair.
"… I had a family," Catra replied, taking a bite of bread. She looked to Glimmer, and met her direct eye contact. "But I don't consider my relatives family. My family is Adora now."