"Show me, princess."
It was a memory Adora would not soon forget. One that still gave her chills, even as an echo. How a name that Catra had once flung at her like acid had evolved into one of the most tender, affectionate sounds the woman made now, she would never know.
She had physically shivered at the tone Catra had held, that damnable voice doing everything to her that Catra's hands had yet to do. If someone had told Adora just a few months ago that she would be here like this with Catra, she would have laughed them off a cliff face. Maybe it would have pissed her off and she might have kicked them off the cliff. Either way, someone would have flown for telling her that they wanted each other like this.
"This" being tangled together under a thin sheet in their bed after dawn, mouths and hands very busy once more. Adora knew Glimmer was right, she had a room full of people likely waiting on her. But it was hard to let go of this, now that she knew where it lead and the result of such things. Catra was so soft, and not just because of the fur. She'd known that a part of her best friend had always been this way, but she had never realized the reason she was the only one that saw it for so long. Catra reserved it for her eyes only because she saw it as a weakness to be exploited.
The fact that she could open up to her this much now, after so many years of building a fortress around herself to keep Adora out... it made Adora light headed with the relief she felt. Far from huddling up and hissing at her from a corner behind some storage crates, Catra was now wrapped completely around her, arms, legs, and tail. It had taken most of their lives to get here, but it was where they were meant to be. Adora knew that in her gut, just as much as she'd known the sword was meant for her. Catra was a big piece of her own chosen destiny, just as important as the one chosen for her.
And she would be damned if she ever gave her up, no matter who or what or when. She was keeping her for always, protecting her, fulfilling a promise made so long ago. She had failed Catra in so many ways, but those days were over. She would make up for it every day for the rest of their lives. Starting with mindfully putting Catra before this stupid meeting Adora didn't even want to go to. She could happily just spend the day right here, where her hand was once again pushing inside of Catra, where the mewls she gave melted Adora into a puddle.
How is she so beautiful? How do I feel this much without exploding or something?
Adora could feel Catra's tail trailing down her spine as she moved in and out. Their kisses were getting sloppy, fangs catching her bottom lip to pull her back in every time she tried to breathe. She had wanted to take this slower, but her sense of duty was nagging at her in the back of her mind, plus... it was hard to control herself once she was touching the parts of her lover that she was. Nothing had ever gripped her attention quite the way Catra's responsive body did, but jeez... it was so worth it. There was an inebriation with the knowledge that she was the only one that got to see this side of her, hear the noises she made and the things that slipped out when she was close to finishing.
"Fuck, Adora."
It was like throwing accelerate on flames. Adora didn't slow her hand, but she did finally pull her mouth away from Catra's, blocking the pillow Catra tried to reach for to muffle herself. "No. I want to hear."
That little worry line appeared between Catra's eyebrows. "What the fuck – A-Adora!"
That last exclamation was when her mouth found somewhere else to kiss, just above where her hand made wet noises inside of Catra. This single piece of advice Spinnerella gave her was her favorite. It had been awkward when she first tried it a few hours before, but she had quickly gotten the hang of it, based on the number of times she heard Catra whimper "please" in a matter of minutes... it was more than she'd heard it in the last fifteen years. If Catra's pleas weren't enough, the shredded bed sheet and damaged mattress under them also told the story.
Adora tried to keep eyes open while she was down there, despite how easily she could distracted with the sensations. But the sight Catra became like this was an addiction all it's own, never mind her taste or the way she moved against Adora's mouth. Her blue and golden green eyes were blown wide, her fur was poofy, her short mane wild like when it was long. Her chest heaved with the sensations rolling through her, sweat dampening the fur below her mane line.
Perfect. Catra was perfect.
"Adora, come back, please?" She reached down to pull Adora's face away from her sex and hauled her back up by the armpits to kiss her. Catra's were hips going so fast between them that Adora was having trouble keeping up with her thrusts, especially with how tight she was around her fingers now. Her hands found their way to her back, holding Adora as close as she could, her claws extended and piercing the skin of Adora's back.
Adora really didn't mind. It didn't hurt her in this instance, per se. There was pain, but... the pleasure overrode it. It was just another way they were connected in that moment. It made it real, a tether to one another outside as well as in. But the best part of Catra coming apart under her fingers?
Adora buried her face into Catra's neck, brandishing hers to her girlfriend as she picked up the pace and really drove it home curling back towards herself just like Spinnerella suggested. She felt the faint prickles of the pointy edges of Catra's fangs, then felt them them press in as Catra bit down when her hips surged up into Adora, and she went rigid beneath her. The warrior couldn't move her hand anymore because Catra's inner muscles had seized it, and were rippling hard against the two fingers buried deeply. The sensory overload made Adora go rigid with an undulation in her groin, too. Spots flashed behind her closed eyes, a ragged noise escaping her throat that was immediately muffled by the flesh caught in her own teeth.
Gods... this is definitely a thing, isn't it?
...Adora liked biting. And Catra seemed a fan, too. So even if Glimmer hadn't literally caught them in bed together naked, there would be no doubts about what they'd been up to all morning once she stumbled into the council chambers. It was written across her skin multiple times for everyone to see, and a large part of her liked that but she didn't know why.
"That's gonna bruise, you know... again." A few moments passed before Catra's first raspy words were breathed in a smug tone directly into her ear. Adora groaned, half in annoyance and half arousal when her hips shifted against Catra's thigh on their own.
"Shut up, Catra. Don't ruin it." She tried hard to ignore the snicker Catra made, but it made her smile regardless. It felt so good to hear her genuine laugh of joy.
"Someone may think I'm actually trying to rip your throat out."
"Again, shut up. Besides, you should see yours." It was true. Catra's lighter fur on her neck showed the dark marks just as well as Adora's pale skin.
They were both grinning, Adora loved that she could hear it in her voice without even looking to see it. It had been a really long time since the last time she had.
"Don't have to, I can feel it. Jeez, are you hungry or something?" Then Catra scoffed at her own question. "Of course you are, it's you..."
The teasing note dropped off at the end of the taunt because Adora had started placing light kisses around the imprint of her teeth on Catra's neck. "You – you have to go. Don't make me... you know... before you do... Fuck, Adora." Catra spat the curse when Adora gently bit down again, just to tease her.
Adora felt a warmth bloom in her chest and she stopped kissing her way around Catra's neck to prop herself up on an elbow, beaming down at her. "I don't know why, but I really like that word and my name in the same sentence... in that context, anyway. Not how you used to say it." Adora made an over exaggerated mad face and lowered her voice to match Catra's tenor. "Fuck Adora, I hate her!"
Please don't let her take that wrong... I'm just playing around...
But Catra only rolled her eyes, and Adora breathed a sigh of relief. She really was working on her anger. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, I was an asshole. You sound nothing like me, by the way, even saying 'fuck'."
Adora opened her mouth to disagree, but her bedroom door burst opened with a bang from a blast of water that splashed over them and their bed, soaking everything. Both her and Catra were in utter shock, but neither of them missed Mermista's drawl from down the hall, well out of sight.
"Come on, Adora! Some of us have kingdoms to run, okay?"
Catra jerked up in the saturated sheets, shaking herself to fling the excess water away, her face turning red in anger, fur standing on end, tail at full poof despite her being drenched. She flexed her hand so that her claws were fully extended, then made to leap for the door. Adora only just managed to get her arms around her before she could spring, and wrestled her back down.
"Let go of me! I'm gonna kill her!"
Adora huffed, rolling her eyes at the empty threats. "No, you're not murdering Mermista first thing this morning."
"First thing? Does that mean I can have her after noon?"
Adora snorted, fighting a smile. "This is my fault. I should get dressed and go meet with them."
Catra growled, but stopped struggling against the hold. "Well, I guess I'm fucking going now, too."
Adora's eyebrows rose in surprise. This was new. It wasn't that Catra hadn't been invited, but she had yet to actually show for one. "Why? You don't have to."
Catra made an angry gesture at the room. "What else am I supposed to do now? Sleep? Fish Girl made sure that wasn't an option."
"Hey! I have a name, sheesh!" Another annoyed call from down the hall and Adora whipped around and yelled at the door.
"A little privacy, please?!"
"Nope," Mermista called back stubbornly. "I'm here to make sure you actually get out of bed. Honeymoon is over, guys. Back to work." She sounded entirely too smug about the puddles of water between her and them.
"We're coming!" Adora snapped. But Mermista didn't sound like she was the least bit intimidated.
"Again?" she asked with a slightly amused air to her usual boredom.
"What does that even mean?!" Catra yelled back as she finally snatched free of Adora's grip and rolled off the mattress and onto her feet. Adora forgot everything going on around her for a moment, watching Catra stalk across the room towards the closet completely nude.
How did I never notice how... nice her butt is? And the swing in that tail is hypnotizing.
Catra must have felt the stare, because she shot a quick look over her shoulder right before she disappeared into the smaller room, a smirk tugging up one side of her mouth. "Enjoying the view, princess?"
Adora just nodded dumbly. How could she articulate words with that perfect feline form on full display for her? Liquid muscle under that damp fur... she swallowed hard, and shook her head to try and clear her thoughts.
Clothes. Clothes would be good. Clothes would be best. Clothes and meeting, then trying to clean the room so they could have somewhere to sleep. Totally great plans. Perfect itinerary. Nothing gave too much free time or time alone where they could get distracted. Distracted like she was distracted now in the closet, watching something as simple as Catra pulling on a pair of slacks.
"I'm going to make it to your own meeting before you will, at this rate." Catra gave her a grin that was warm beneath the teasing tone. "I'm not going to have to dress you, am I?"
"Pfft, no."
Adora gave her narrowed eyes and turned her back to Catra to look at the opposite wall. A soft exhale of air made her ears burn as she pulled on a pair of underwear and grabbed a grey pair of slacks. It was the same noise Catra always made when she saw the scars from the day she had shredded her back. She stiffened as soft fingertips traced down them. She held her breath and waited to see what reaction it would invoke in Catra that day, because it varied, depending on her mood. But today it was just fuzzy arms slipping around her waist from behind and Catra's forehead pressing between her shoulder blades. A long kiss was pressed where Catra's mouth met her skin.
"I'm so sorry."
Her heart broke with the sorrow weighted in the whisper. "I know. I forgave you ages ago. And don't start on deserving. You know how I feel about that."
Adora turned around so that she face Catra once more, touching her face like she so often did, in complete awe that she had the freedom to do so. Mesmerizing with her large eyes framed with freckles beneath them and dark, expressive eyebrows above. That little nose she couldn't help but boop every now and then just to watch that adorable scowl cross her features. That face was the heaviest anchor in her memory, and Catra's voice her tether to reality.
Catra's eyes cleared somewhat with the reminder, and that devious little smile lit up. "Yeah, I do. I'm glad we had that talk. It really, uh... lead to some interesting places."
The humor mask was back in place, but Adora allowed it. There wasn't time to keep picking at the topic, she really needed to let go of Catra and finish getting dressed. It was just so hard. It was like when she had to walk away from a cake, but only worse.
Maybe that would be something Spinnerella could help with. She and Netossa didn't spend every waking moment in bed, so surely this would fade with time? Adora made a mental note to talk to her about it as she gently pulled back from Catra, leaving a kiss on her forehead. "I'm always available for talks."
Catra rolled her eyes, but she turned to grab the shirt she'd chosen without any lip and shrugged into it. Adora kept one eye on her as she also finished dressing, tying her hair up into her usual ponytail. When Catra went to close the last few buttons on her deep purple shirt, Adora reached out and stopped her before she closed the last three.
"Leave those open. I like it." It reminded her of how fucking sexy Catra had been in that tux and loose bow tie at the Princess Prom. Now that she was on touching terms, it was nowhere near as infuriating, and it didn't cover the marks she'd left. She really, really liked that, and she had no clue why. Another question to ask, maybe?
Catra raised an eyebrow in silent question, but Adora ignored it and turned away from her in favor of hiding the blush on her cheeks as she pinned her bangs back. Again, she was surprised when Catra said nothing, but a quick glance at her chest told Adora she granted the request. She could see the tuft of fur peeking out, and the marks on Catra's neck were stark against her light orange fur.
A few moments later found them face to face with Mermista, who was leaned against the spare room door with her arms crossed over her chest. "Finally," the princess drawled at them with a hard eye roll. "I thought I was going to have to get Frosta up here next to freeze you guys out."
Adora gave her a look. "Be glad you didn't." She practically heard Catra's claws extend beside her, and she reached over to lace their fingers together. It worked, and her girlfriend's posture relaxed. "You could have gone on without us, you know."
Mermista had the audacity to smirk. "Why would we do that when Glimmer teleported into the room, having a stroke about 'things that cannot be unseen'? We had to break out the water hose."
"In our bedroom, Mermista? Really?" Adora's temper was rising a little with her friend's flippancy, but she choked it down to where Catra wouldn't also react. Their tempers combined would be bad for the entire Alliance meeting.
The smirk she received was infuriating, and it must have showed, because Mermista gave a long, put upon sigh. "Fine, I'll clean it out when the meeting is over. It's not like I have a life, or whatever."
Catra puffed up on Adora's right, and she squeezed the hand still in hers to remind her to calm down, but this time didn't work so much as the last. "What?! You wouldn't have to clean it up if you hadn't been an asshole to start. You know how much I hate water. Everyone knows how much I hate water."
"That was the point, Cat Girl."
"Ugh, you're so lucky I'm trying to be decent!" Catra snarled, snatching her hand out of Adora's and stalking past them both. "I need some air. I'm going to find Melog. I'll catch up to you later, Adora."
She watched Catra walk away without a backward glance with a sinking feeling in her gut that soon turned to molten anger at Mermista. She knew logically that it had been a joke, and that the princess likely planned to clean up the mess from the start. But watching Catra leave with her tail thrashing behind her in agitation struck a too familiar chord inside of her that she would rather forget. It was like the progress they'd made in the last few hours had evaporated, and Catra was shutting her out again.
Or you're riding high on emotions and you're paranoid. Could be either one. Ugh, why am I in love with the biggest brat I've ever known? Frustrating, infuriating, sexy... ugh.
Adora swallowed back her feelings to put on her duty face, and squared her shoulders. She marched off in the direction of the council chamber, ignoring Mermista with all her might as her friend dragged her feet behind her. The joke had backfired, and now she was feeling a little guilty, Adora could feel it. It did nothing to simmer her temper, though.
There was muffled conversation behind the closed door when they drew upon it, but the moment Adora pushed it open, the chatter stopped suspiciously. Everyone avoided her eye but Spinnerella and Netossa, both of whom gave her warm, sympathetic smiles that made her relax just a little as she made her way around to her chair. Adora gave a glance at the perpetually empty chair at her left as she sat down, and then frowned at Mermista. She had been so close to finally having Catra's ass in the damn thing. Maybe not today, for the reason she was almost there; but almost comfortable enough with the Alliance to make her want to hear for herself what is going on in Etheria.
Glimmer wouldn't meet her eyes at all, still pink cheeked and staring resolutely at the table top, though Bow was giving Adora a supportive smile from Glimmer's other side. They had been so busy with rebuilding efforts lately that the three of them had barely had the chance to really talk, but they both knew that Adora had been trying to keep things slow because of Catra's emotional state. They both likely guessed that this had been their first time, and Glimmer was feeling guilty for ruining it for them. Bow was likely happy for her, like she had been for him and Glimmer.
Adora gave a deep sigh, settling back in her chair. This was likely going to be a long meeting.
Adora could feel eyes on her as everyone was gathering themselves to leave the chambers later, and she turned into the feeling to see Glimmer staring at her with big, sad eyes. Adora gave her a little half hearted grin to convey her anger wasn't directed at her anymore, and that seemed to perk her up a little bit.
"I'm sorry for popping in like that this morning." Glimmer waited until almost everyone had vacated before moving closer to Adora to apologize. "I guess I was just used to doing it for so long that I forgot that you need your privacy now."
"I always needed my privacy, Glimmer."
Glimmer's cheeks darkened. "Point taken. But you know what I meant."
Adora nodded. "I do. But yeah... knocking from now on would save all of us some embarrassment."
Glimmer shot Adora a sideways look as they made their way out of the hall together. "Catra didn't seem embarrassed at all." Her eyes zeroed in on Adora's neck, and she actually smirked. "Neither do you, honestly."
A small smile graced the warrior's face as she reached up and touched the last one Catra had gifted. "Oh, I'm not embarrassed about that. I was embarrassed you saw... stuff."
Glimmer choked on her next inhale of breath, and Adora reached over to smack her on the back as she coughed, sending sparkles fluttering through the air. "Let's never talk about that again, Adora."
"Agreed. Who's idea was it to send Mermista to literally flush us out?"
Glimmer gave her a dead, unamused stare. "Mermista's."
"I figured. She is cleaning up her own mess, though. But um... I maaaay need new sheets? Catra kind of... tore them up. Ahem."
Glimmer covered her face with hand. "Bright Moon is going to be out of linen soon because Catra can't keep her claws under control."
Adora sputtered. "This was the first time!"
"Exactly! And if she shreds them every time, think about how many sets you're going to go through!" Glimmer was teasing, and the shimmer in her eyes gave her away even if her indignant tone did not.
Adora grinned deviously. "I'll have you know she can control her claws when it really counts."
Glimmer's face went pale with horror as Adora's meaning washed over her, and her face screwed up into a grimace. "Ew ew ew ew! Too much information! I have things I have to do, see you later, Adora!" A bright shimmer of purple light engulfed her, and then she was gone, leaving Adora cackling in the hall.
Okay, so the look on her face may have been worth her busting in this morning. Just a little.
"Adora?"
Her name being called from behind her caught her attention as she wiping tears of laughter away, and she turned to see Spinnerella making her way towards her. Adora gave a friendly wave, an immediate blush settling on her face because she kind of knew what she might ask.
"I'm sorry about the prank Mermista pulled," Spinnerella said when she drew even with her. "She was out of the room before Netty and I arrived. I would have stopped her."
Adora gave her a grateful nod. "It's okay, really. She's cleaning up her mess."
"Are you all right, otherwise? Is Catra?" Spinnerella also eyed the marks on Adora's neck. "I assume my advice went... well?"
Adora's knees almost went weak with the flashes of moments shared between her and Catra over the course of the early morning, but she covered it by casually leaning against a pillar. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, well. Very well." She rubbed the back of her neck as blood crept up it. "Very good advice. Uh, and about that... could I ask you something else?"
Spinnerella gave her a disarming smile accompanied with a gentle nudge in the side as she settled in beside her on the same pillar. "Anything, dear."
Adora bit her lip, trying to phrase "Why do I want to keep humping my girlfriend now that I have?" into something more appropriate, but having trouble because that was really the point of the questions.
"It was... really hard to get out of bed. Like, more than usual. Because... you know." Adora gave her friend a nervous glance, and the princess gave her a nod to keep going. "Does it... does it get easier? Like, I would have skipped that meeting this morning if I could have, and that's not like me. You know me. I'm always ready to do what I have to do. But after everything... It physically hurt to let it go."
Spinnerella gave her a warm smile. "That's love, hon. You will learn to balance it in time, but no... I can't say the feeling of not wanting to let go of Netossa has ever faded for me."
"But... the balance thing makes it easier?"
Spinnerella shook her head. "That's not what I said. Balance is never easy, in any aspect of life. You know that better than most, do you not? As She-Ra?"
Adora grumbled a little under her breath. "I guess not. Catra has always been a hard balancing act in my life, and this new level of love between us... I never thought I could love her any more than I already did. Then we had sex. I knew it would shift our dynamic, but I didn't know I could still feel more for her. But I do."
Spinnerella held open her arms, and Adora went into a hug that made some of the tension in her shoulders fade. "Oh, dear girl. You're just getting started. You have a whole future in which to fall more in love with Catra every day. Trust me. And the same can be said for her. It is terrifying, and consuming, but it is so worth it."
Adora felt her heart clench, and tears rose in her eyes at the endearing tone Spinerella held. She had heard Angella use it with Glimmer countless times, and she briefly wondered if this is what it felt like to have a real mother. She had once attributed Shadow Weaver's interest in her development as motherly, but now that she knew better, every "good" memory she held with the sorceress had decayed. But in the past few weeks, Spinnerella had made herself more available, and had suggested Netossa and Catra train together for their competitive natures to have an outlet. The more Adora thought about it, the more she realized Spinnerella was purposely trying to help.
The tears in her eyes fell, and she couldn't hold back a soft sob against the silky cloth over Spinnerella's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully, and she hoped that the older woman understood that she meant for more than just the hug.
"Any time. I mean that. You know where to find me." Spinnerella released her and took a step back. She reached up with a thumb and brushed the tears from Adora's cheeks, then cupped her face with a smile. "I'll let you go find your Catra now. I think Netossa was looking for her, too."
"Then maybe I should let Catra fight it out... she was pissed."
"She hates water. I'm surprised she didn't attack Mermista."
"I didn't let her."
They shared a mirrored grin, then Adora pushed off the pillar to wander off in the direction of the castle grounds. "See you around."
Spinnerella gave a single dip of her head. "Later, Adora."