Modern au snippet where Catra reunites with Adora at the beach and remembers how in love she is...
Catra is not a fan of the beach.
The sand, whether dry or wet, always buries deep in her fur and finds its way into her ears and it's beyond frustrating.
She definitely doesn't like the sea. It's loud and salty and wet.
And yet, despite every bone in her body wanting to be anywhere else, she's at the beach in the late afternoon and thus missing out on theonly good thing about the beach which is sun.
And the reason is that one girl that always always always pulls her back in; the one girl who she is powerless against and who has absolutely no idea of just how weak she makes her.
Adora.
She spots her easily enough beside the campfire they've set up with her two weird friends – not that Catra can judge weird friends if she's being honest- who seem to be alternating between making a rather pitiful sandcastle and throwing handfuls of wet slop into each other's laps.
Catra rolls her eyes, sighs heavily up at the darkening sky as she adjusts the strap of her guitar case and wonders if maybe she should turn around and just bike home.
Just as she's made up her mind, turning on her heel with her hands stuffed deep into the pockets of her jacket, she hears Her and her entire body stiffens.
"Catra!"
Damn it.
She looks back and Adora, dorky dumb jock Adora, is looking at her and there's suddenly a weird shame curling in her because she knows that Adora knows that she was seconds from leaving.
Her brow is furrowed slightly and there's the distinct darkening of disappointment in her eyes.
It feels bad.
It makes her hesitate.
Her claws curl into the sand.
Then she takes a deep breath, throws on her signature smirk and strides closer with her best swagger, valiantly ignoring the way that Adora brightens.
"Hey, Adora~" She drawls once she's close enough before dropping down onto the log beside her and her friend- are they friends? She kind of hopes so- leans across and bumps her shoulder into hers.
"You came," Adora says, voice a bit too soft, a bit too open and a bit too sweet.
Catra's sure she can taste sugar.
She doesn't hear an implied 'and you nearly left' that she probably deserves and her toes dig into soft sand as she realises that Adora's just glad she's there.
Not a lot of people are very glad to simply have her around.
Catra glances towards where the dynamic dweeb duo have rolled off towards the surf, cackling as they kick water at each other.
"Well… it'd be cruel to leave you with those two," She says dryly and she doesn't bother hiding her delight as Adora gasps in outrage.
"Catra!"
She looks back at Adora's adorably righteous face and smirks before nudging her with an elbow.
"You're so easy, Adora," She teases and she half expects her to do that flustered arguing thing she reverts to when she's thrown off kilter but instead, she just rolls her eyes and her smile is nothing but amused.
She's catching onto Catra again.
She's figuring her out and is learning what makes her tick…
They're different to how they were as kids but Adora doesn't rise to the bait because she knows that she won't win.
"Jerk," Adora mutters, headbutting her shoulder and Catra sniggers before sliding her guitar strap off her shoulder.
"So, you wanted to know if I was any good, right?" She quips and when she looks back a minute later with her old worn guitar in her hands, Adora's eyes are bright and she looks away quickly, heat creeping up her neck as she pretends to tune the strings.
"Let me guess, you play classic rock?" Adora asks and the playful tone relaxes her enough to have her looking back with a raised brow.
"Obviously. What's the point if there isn't obnoxiously badass guitar solos?"
And Adora so clearly tries not to laugh.
She fails miserably.
A spluttering laugh escapes her and the next second she's giggling into her hands and Catra looks back to the campfire, takes a subtle breath to calm the sudden pounding of her heart and it's…
It's okay.
She can manage this...
A short while later she's picking a lazy tune, half listening to Glimmer and Bow giving very precise instructions on how to make the perfect smore.
Apparently Adora, for how well cared for she was, didn't get out too much after she was adopted.
Catra nearly snorts to herself.
What kinda asshole doesn't teach their kid how to make smores?
Then Catra remembers that there's worse things that a guardian can do and she reflexively rubs the inside of her wrist against her guitar before focussing on plucking out a melody.
It wasn't easy to learn to play, mostly because she didn't used to have enough control over her claws in order to stop them grating over the strings and, in fact, snapping them.
She went through a lot of strings by playing when she was angry.
Her adoptive mother never minded.
And Catra smiles faintly at the thought of her, the one who always buys her new strings, who never shouts no matter how frustrated Catra makes her, who hums the songs that inspired her to play and who takes better care of her than she feels she deserves.
Her mother in all but blood… who really likes Adora.
Catra blinks and nearly tuts at herself.
It always comes back to Adora.
Always, always, always-
Adora bursts into laughter and Catra looks over and sees Bow's face twisted into abject horror, his eyes locked onto the marshmallow that Catra is pretty certain shouldn't be on fire and steadily melting its way into the sand.
Glimmer's cackling at him, patting his shoulder in consolation and Catra's about to throw a lazy jibe at him but her eyes are drawn back to Adora as her shoulders shake from the force of her laughter and…
Her breath catches.
Firelight reflects in her bright blue eyes and dances across her face, lighting up her beaming smile and it's like looking at the sun.
And Catra isn't sure why the sight knocks the wind out of her because Adora doesn't look any different than usual. She's wearing her ridiculous jock jacket and her blonde hair is tied up just the same as always and her jeans are worn to almost splitting and she's just… Adora.
She's just Adora and she's laughing and a sudden realisation hits Catra hard.
She's beautiful.
And watching Adora's face flush with mirth, Catra forgets to breathe again as another thought follows close after the first.
I love her.
The thought might be more disturbing if it wasn't so familiar.
She thinks it often lately. She lets herself taste the words in her mind so they don't twist up in her gut and make her defensive. They're comfortable in their familiarity now.
Except it's never felt like this.
It almost hurts.
It hits so hard that for a moment she can only compare it to being punched in the chest and then there's an ache and it creeps in, settles deep in her bones and she's no fool, she knows exactly what it is.
Longing.
A sudden, overwhelming longing because Adora's laugh sounds like the kind of music that keeps nightmares away and her smile is pure, brilliant sunshine and her happiness is blinding.
Man… Man, she longs for it, for Her.
And she doesn't tear her eyes away, doesn't force herself to stop before she falls too deep. Maybe because it would be a lie to say she already hasn't or maybe it's because she feels a bit like she's been struck by lightning and every cell in her body is frozen in a weirdly blissful kind of shock.
She just watches her laugh.
I love her.
She barely notices Bow and Glimmer scrambling to the ocean to wash their hands but she does notice how Adora's laughter trails off, watching them go and merely licking her fingers clean before wiping the remnants of marshmallow off on her jeans.
Gross.
Then Adora looks over to her and Catra hasn't half the brain to pretend she wasn't staring and she wonders if Adora will ask, will tease her, will poke and prod until she either cracks or storms away and God she hopes not.
She doesn't know what she'd do if somehow her own defensiveness ruined this.
But Adora doesn't do that.
Adora meets her gaze, blue eyes warm and steady and borderline unbearably soft.
I love her.
"Hey, Catra..." Adora says in a whisper and in that moment, there is nobody else in the world but them and maybe Catra isn't a religious person but it sure feels a lot like heaven.
A smile curls on her face, the small secret one that she reserves just for Her and when she sees warm blue eyes flicker to her lips, a weight shifts off her shoulders and the breathing gets easier.
Adora is beautiful.
So beautiful in the way she exists in the world; shining like a star, soft as the moon's glow and warm as the sun.
So beautiful in the way that she's looking at Catra now like she's feeling just the same about her.
Like she's the stars, moon and sun and nothing could interest her more.
"Adora..." She breathes and maybe it's a bit more of a wistful sigh than anything but she can't feel embarrassed with those eyes on her, so gentle and tender and tracing her face as if committing her to memory.
And because Adora is honest in everything she does, there's little hesitation when she speaks.
"I love you," She says, twiddling her thumbs like the damned most adorable dweeb ever.
Catra gazes back, smiling helplessly and she's certain she's the picture of a complete lovestruck loser but she's never cared less.
"Then why are you sitting so far away?" She quips and Adora beams yet again before shifting closer, pressing into Catra's side, all warm and soft and smiling.
Catra's tail curls it's way around her waist and when Adora's face presses into her cheek close enough for her to feel her smile, she takes a deep breath and turns her head to brush her lips to hers.
"Love you too, you dork," She whispers and she revels in Adora's giggle and then a hand is against her cheek and she is the one to close the gap to kiss her, soft over the laughter still dancing over her lips and her giddiness is a wonder in itself.
Catra grins against her mouth.
"Stop laughing and let me kiss you properly," She chides playfully and Adora only laughs harder, ducking her head to bury it in Catra's shoulder before her arms wrap around her and Adora's hugging her tightly and well… it's nice.
So nice in a way that nothing else could ever compare.
Catra squeezes her back, breathes in the sweet apple scent of Adora's shampoo and presses as far into her as she can as relentless purrs start rumbling in her chest.
Then soft fingers find the base of her ear and yeah…
It has to be heaven.