A Rose with Thorns

by VioletPaperFlowers

Adora had always been curious about the school outcast, Catra, who despite being bright always ended up getting in trouble. She never thought she'd get to do more than watch from afar but now that they end up meeting unexpectedly in college as roommates, she might get her chance to see what hides behind those sad eyes. College AU. Smut is yet to come in future chapters!

13. Orange Peels

For the next several days, the weather didn't let up. It continued to pour outside, marking the last few days of October. While it had begun to feel colder in the afternoon than it had months before, it was much more clear that the seasons were changing now.

Catra hadn't always been the biggest fan of the rain (for obvious reasons). Even just the thought of it made her skin crawl and her nails tingle with the familiar sensation of them extending as a reflex. But for the past several days she couldn't bring herself to hate it, or even dislike it, as she was so used to. One could even say she was…enjoying it.

The same couldn't be said for her recently official girlfriend.

Wow, Catra thought to herself. Girlfriend…

Every time she remembered, she couldn't help smile stupidly to herself. Sure, she still had her own fears, of what it meant for them now, of what it would mean for the future…but Adora's dumbass-ness must be rubbing off of her; for those few days after what would later be dubbed "confession day," Catra was able to forget all that and enjoy those few days they spent together. For the most part, alone, in their apartment.

Aside from Adora being a psycho and still going on runs at the crack of dawn to jog, they both remained not far from the other. Not that Catra was complaining. Thanks to the unexpected days of downpour that followed, she got a good view every morning. Before, she could only catch glimpses of Adora when she returned, only a sliver of blonde hair as she always went straight to the bathroom, followed by the sound of the shower running, leaving Catra to imagine very vividly what was behind the door.

But now? She got a pretty damn good view.

Something her girlfriend didn't let her live down.

"Enjoying the view?" Adora grinned at her as she leaned against the entrance of the bathroom doorway, being just tall enough to reach the top frame of it. Catra about died in that moment. In that position, every inch she was interested in, from Adora's perfectly toned abs, to her spectacularly shaped arms, were posed perfectly for her eyes to consume. Despite the cloudy skies, there seemed to be a glow around her as her skin was still covered in a thin layer of rain from having dried off quickly before stepping inside. It drew Catra's eyes over every inch of her. Because while there was no mistaking how absolutely delicious Adora's well defined muscles were, it was her eyes that always caught Catra's attention first. Those intense blues that seemed to only glow brighter despite the cloudy skies outside. Catra would do anything to see what those eyes burning with desire.

"Definitely not," Catra replied, twirling the ends of her hair with fingers. She examined the coarse ends. "I'm just minding my own business. Why?" She smirked.

"You enjoying the view too?" She made a show of stretching long and hard, making her already cropped shirt rise up even more, enough to show the beginning of the two smooth curves on her chest.

Adora blushed at the sight, but didn't move from her current position.

"Too, huh?" It finally registered in her mind what Catra had implied.

It was Catra's turn to look away. "No."

"But that's not what I heard…" Adora's voice lowered as she began to walk slowly to where Catra sat on the couch.

At seeing her slowly approach, wearing nothing but a workout bra and shorts, Catra could feel her heartbeat quicken. All the power that she emitted with every step was enough to make her whole body tingle. And she hadn't even been touched yet.

"And what did you think you heard?" Thankfully, Catra's voice sounded much less shaky than what she felt.

"It almost sounded," Adora had finally reached her, but she didn't stop inching closer. She rested a knee on the couch, effectively trapping Catra between her body and the arm of the couch. "Like you like me~"

"I—I don't like you," Catra scoffed, even though her body betrayed her and she could feel her face heat up at her close proximity. Get it together, she thought to herself, why are you acting like this? She's just—

A hand reached up to tip her chin up, making her eyes move up from Adora's abs and to her lips.

"You sure?" Adora's voice was low and raspy now, like she too could feel the electric current that was building between them.

"Hm," Catra smirked, feigning confidence and trying her hardest to hide just how much every one of Adora's moves were affecting her.

"I don't know," she teased, "Maybe…" She reached up and put her arms around Adora's broad shoulders, connecting her hands behind her neck, pulling her in. "You should come and find out."

"Oh?" Adora's smirk only widened. "Maybe I will then."

"Maybe you should…" Their lips were a breath away from each other at this point. Neither of them willing to close the remaining gap, egging the other on, daring them to make the next move, to give in to the other.

"Hm," Catra smiled softly before releasing her hold on her. Adora, feeling a small pang of disappointment, leaned away from her. More so on herself for not being bold enough to do anything about the urge she had to feel Catra's lips on hers again.

But her disappointment quickly vanished as she felt the familiar sensation of Catra's tail trail a path up her leg, going from her ankle to her upper thigh.

She shivered at the feeling, beginning to get warmer in between her thighs.

Catra let out a small laugh at her reaction to that simple action.

And finally, deciding to put Adora out of her misery, she withdrew her tail, and let Adora free herself from her grasp, at least enough for her to be able to think straight again.

"Go take a shower," Catra said, the tension between them still palpable. "You stink."

"I do not!" Adora sniffed her shoulder anyways.

"You totally do," Catra teased, shoving her towards the bathroom.

"Do not!" Adora paused. "Maybe a little."

"See?" A smile tugged at Catra's lips. "You definitely should wash up."

"I will then," Adora stuck her tongue out before walking into the bathroom. Catra tried to hide the tiny laugh that escaped her lips. She turned to shout one last final retort but stopped short. Her eyes widened as she realized that Adora hadn't closed the door to the bathroom just yet, making it possible for Catra to see just as Adora was lifting her arms up as she slid off her sports bra, her back to Catra.

Her jaw dropped. While she had been able to get a good view of her back muscles before, now they were even more delicious as they flexed as Adora slid off her running shorts, leaving her in nothing but her underwear. Catra's fingers began to tingle, and she suddenly had the urge to run her hands all over those perfectly toned…

"You good there?" Adora shouted over her shoulder, turning her head just enough for the bathroom light to hit her muscular shoulder blades. "Sure got real quiet over there." Catra scowled at the smirk in her voice.

"I'm waiting for you to shut the door and let me nap. You're so noisy."

Adora laughed, her voice further away as she moved away from Catra's line of vision entirely.

"If you say so." The remaining of her clothes was thrown into the pile in the middle of the bathroom.

Hyper aware of the fact that she was now completely naked a few feet away, Catra's ears flickered as she heard Adora turn on the shower, open the curtain and close it behind her.

Did she just…?

Yup. She had. From where she sat, Catra could hear the water run down her body, shifting as Adora moved around in the shower, and Catra could only imagine how her body looked all nice and wet…and soft…

But there was no way in hell that she was going to go in there. Sure, Adora had left the door open, but how could Catra be sure that she meant anything by it? What if she was just teasing her? Testing her after what had happened? No. It was best to play it safe.

To cool herself off, Catra pulled a pillow over her face, silently screaming into it.

Don't be a creep, she scolded to herself, what if she didn't mean it like? But she wouldn't leave it open if she didn't want..Want what? Me? Me to go in there and…?

But Catra felt doubt creep into her mind. She didn't want to make it about sex. Sure it was on her mind, and Adora and her had…gotten pretty close to it but never more than a steamy make out session. And if her previous history with it taught her anything, it was that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It always came with its own string of issues and problems. Things would always get…dirty and foggy after she'd cross that line. But even more than that, Adora was…

Different. Different from any other woman Catra had been with or met. Even before they crossed paths, she was always intrigued by her. Finding herself drawn to her in a way that was so foreign to her, it was frightening. And now that she was finally with her, it was both unbelievable and amazing. But just the more reason for her to not fuck it up like she usually did.

No. She frowned.

This time, she would try her best to not mess up. Not this. Not what she had with her. It was too new. Too precious.

The smallest sliver of a chance that her going in there now was going to ruin things was enough to get her to stay put on the couch. Her chest tightened at the fear of losing her after making it this far, which was a literal miracle.

So, instead, she stayed frozen in place as Adora, oblivious to her inner fears, continued to get ready for another day of staying in.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Catra groaned as she scanned her wardrobe for clothes to wear. Adora was getting ready in her own room, buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming event that she had dragged Catra into too, despite her futile attempts at protesting. She'd spend all morning trying to get out of it but all attempts shriveled up under the gaze of the golden star runner, who also happened to be the most social butterfly to ever socialize.

She groaned again, louder so her girlfriend could hear from the other side of the room, raising her voice with the slightest edge to drive her point home.

"Why are we doing this again? How did we get involved?"

"Because I promised Glimmer I would be there." Adora called out from her room. "Besides, you can't stay holed up in our room all semester, we need socializing."

"Uh, no. We don't, actually. That's a myth." Catra disappeared into her closet, deciding on her basic black t-shirt with the block print word Meow on the front. That along with her black torn mom jeans completed her attempt at an outfit.

Adora's laugh was light. "Just come with me you hermit."

"Only," Catra wandered into Adora's room, the door forever open. "If I get a kiss in exchange…" Her words trailed off as she spotted Adora in the middle of her room, posing in front of the mirror. But it wasn't that that made her stop in her tracks. There was Adora, looking much more spectacular than any other time Catra had seen her. And in her hands, a long sword hidden in its scabbard. On seeing Catra walk in, and stopping in place, Adora froze in the place as well.

Catra's bright mismatched eyes went from Adora, to the sword in her hands, back to meet Adora's eyes.

"Only a kiss?" Adora smirked at seeing Catra's eyes widen at her suggestion. To emphasize her point, she turned fully towards Catra, giving her a better view to enjoy every inch of her outfit.

"Yes." Catra breathed out. She couldn't help notice the way the material gripped Adora's hips in all the right places. "Only a kiss."

"Hm." Adora twirled the sword upward once with a flick of her wrist. It landed comfortably in her hand in its initial position again. "Fine. Only cuz I know it's not really your thing to join in on sorority events."

"Yeah, no kidding," Catra traced the length of the still hidden sword, her black nails not stopping when it reached the back of Adora's hand, going further up slowly. Adora visibly shivered at her touch, but stood her ground, trying to contain herself.

Thoughts. She was definitely thinking thoughts. Thoughts that involved Catra on her lap, dragging her nails just as she was doing to the sword, up her sides…wondering what kind of sounds she'd make if she were to throw her onto her bed, touching her everywhere she'd been dying to touch her…

No longer able to contain herself, Adora lowered the sword to her side, pulled Catra in by her waist, and kissed her. Resting the sword against the wall, Adora was able to place both her hands around Catra, her lips still working. She wanted, no, needed to hear Catra's sweet sweet sounds. She finally succeeded when her hand lightly cupped her breasts through her shirt. Catra sighed against her lips. That was enough for Adora to pick up the pace. She turned them around, backing Catra towards her bed. The magicat smirked against her lips, but let herself be guided so she was on her back now, Adora's body looming over her.

Wanting to see her reactions as well, Catra pressed her knee in between Adora's, breaking their kiss only to nibble and suck on the sensitive skin of her neck.

Adora groaned, breathing sharply in when she felt Catra's sharp teeth graze her skin, and just when she thought she'd feel her teeth sink into her, Catra sucked instead. The sensation sent a shock down Adora's body. Throwing her head back with a moan, Adora gave Catra full access to her neck, her breasts, her entire body. She felt as her tail traveled up to tease her side and oh how she wished she could rip off her clothes and see every inch of her…kissing her…sucking on every crevice of her body…

The sound of the door slamming open made both of them freeze.

"Glimmer! We can't just break in," Bow's voice could be heard from where they were. "What if—"

"Oh please!" Glimmer waved his concern off. "I'm sure Adora doesn't mind. Besides, what the worst that can happen—"

She stopped once she stepped into Adora's room, where Adora was still on top of Catra, the latter looking very pleased with herself.

"Oh."

"Well, this is cozy." Glimmer and Bow shared a look and laughed.

"Hey guys," Adora kneeled on the bed, getting off of Catra enough to allow her to sit up, but she didn't budge from where they were. She adjusted her belt that had come a little loose in all the activity they had been doing.

Glimmer rolled her eyes at that. "You guys are officially late so now you have to help set up."

"Why the hell do I have to help? It's not like it has anything to do with me." Catra's words seemed to strike a nerve as Glimmer's eyes landed on her sharply.

"Because," The Princess said, "I said so. And everyone has to help."

Catra laughed, finally untangling herself from under Adora to stand in front of her, daring her to make her do something as corny as helping a sorority with an event. "I'd like to see you try and make me."

"Just 'cause you and Adora are a thing now doesn't mean you are exempt from helping out." She inhaled and exhaled deeply. When she spoke next her tone was one adults would use on children when trying to explain big concepts. "Because, as you may not know, as Princesses, and future rulers of Etheria, we have to be inclusive and be knowledgeable of all sorts of customs. Not just from Etheria, but from other planets too."

"So it is our duty," Glimmer's voice grew more stern, so stern, Bow and Adora shared a look and couldn't help feeling like they were being scolded too. "To make sure none of those traditions die out."

"And," She pointed a finger at her, "you are going to help because you owe it to everyone there. I still don't forgive you for leaving us stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"First of all," Catra retorted, "it wasn't the middle of nowhere. Second of all, I don't remember asking for forgiveness. And third of all," mismatched eyes narrowed, "I'm not stupid. Just because I didn't go to fancy ass school straight out of the womb it does not mean I'm not cultured. Any idiot knows about all that. So," Catra smirked, "spare me the cultural lesson and get moving if you care that much, Princess."

"I—You—!" Glimmer struggled to be set free from Bow's grasp. Adora stepped between them too, mostly so to protect Catra than to stop Glimmer.

She turned to the magicat. "Come on," she gave her her best puppy eyes she could muster, "Do it for me."

"Psh," Catra blew on her bangs but the light blush on her cheeks was unmistakable. "Don't—Stop that." She shoved at Adora who went to lean against her, puckering her lips.

"But Catraaa," Adora whined, "It'll be so much fun."

Catra stared at her hard. Bow and Glimmer shared a look while they stood in silence as Catra and Adora seemed to be having an entire conversation with their eyes. Adora raised a brow, Catra frowned. Slowly, a grin spread across Adora's face and Catra rolled her eyes.

"Wha—what just happened?" Bow whispered to Glimmer, who shrugged in confusion.

"She's coming," Adora said, looking proud of herself.

"Don't I wish," Catra whispered low enough for only Adora to hear. She laughed.

"Anyways," Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling irritated by the entire interaction already. "Everyone is gonna be wondering where we went. We said we'd be quick."

"I'm sure we won't be missed," Catra said. Glimmer huffed out of the room, Bow following her.

"Was it something I said?" Catra smirked.

"Come on," Adora grabbed her hand, massaging small circles on the back of her hand with her thumb. "It'll be fine. I'll be there. I'm pretty sure Scorpia will be there. It will be fun! And," Adora pulled her close, placing a hand on her cheek, smiling when Catra leaned into it. "If you really don't want to be there, we can just show up, help a little, hang out for half an hour and then leave."

"Oh?" Catra's tail circled Adora's waist as she allowed herself to be fully embraced. "Won't Sparkle have a fit if we ditch her big event?"

"I'm sure she'll forgive us." A pause. "Eventually."

"Oh?" Catra raised a brow at her, "It almost sounds like you're scared of little tiny Sparkles, Princess."

Adora laughed, "No worries, I'll protect you too."

"Please," Catra pulled away. "I don't need protecting."

"I know you don't," Adora laced their fingers together.

"Now let's get out of here before Shimmer barges in again. And," Catra leaned close enough to lick Adora's neck. "don't forget we have unfinished business."

Adora grinned."Of course not."

.

.

"Adora!" Perfuma greeted her with her usual hug, unintentionally making Adora let go of Catra's hand for a second before grabbing it again. The motion did not go unnoticed.

"And Catra," Perfuma smiled at her gently. "Nice to see you again."

"Hm," was all the magicat muttered.

"Wild Cat!" Scorpia set down a box she was carrying to wave at her.

"They roped you into this too?" Catra asked, holding back a smile when Scorpia's waving almost caused her to lose her balance. Thankfully, she caught herself on time and just smiled that big smile she always wore.

"Me? No, no way. It sounded fun and I wanted to help out. And look!" Scorpia turned around to show Catra her the cat tail she had pinned to her dress. It was a matching set with the ears she had on her head.

"You—" Catra stared, "you're dressed up as a cat?"

"Of course!" Scorpia was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "I always wanted cat ears."

"No kidding!" Bow chimed in, admiring Catra's real ones. "They are just so cute."

"Right?" Frosta joined in, "They look so soft! Hey, can I borrow those, Scorpia? I want to try them out."

"They are not cute." Catra hissed at the group that had erupted into giggling fit as they took turns commenting on her ears and taking turns trying on the fake ones Scorpia had. Without another work, she stomped away and disappeared into the back hallway.

"Oops," Perfuma covered her mouth as if that would make her laughter go back down her throat. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Don't worry about her," Scorpia said, "She's always been touchy when it comes to this particular Earthly tradition."

"I just love Halloweens," Frosta shrieked. "Especially the candy!"

"It's Halloween," Perfuma corrected her gently. "My favorite are the decorations! There's just something about the smell of pumpkins that is so delightful."

"I have to agree with Frosta," Glimmer hooked her arm through Frosta's, "Nothing beats the treats! Especially candy apples! So yummy!"

"Just 'cause it's a fruit doesn't make up for—" Adora was out of earshot by then, cutting short Bow's lecture on teeth health.

She walked past everyone who had shown up to help with the festival. Some of the other princesses, ones she recognized from the many royal family trees she'd memorized since before she could write her own name, seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. After all, it wasn't often that they got to interact with the other royals in such an informal setting. Each sporting their own costumes from fairies to angels, to mummies to mermaids. It was easy to take the role of someone else. Pretend to be someone but their royal selves.

For Adora, however, it was a little more difficult. While she could have opted to wear something more costume-y, anything else but her more dressed up version of what she was used to wearing while training back home was the only thing that didn't make her feel uncomfortable. While her other training buddies complained of the olive green pants and white long-sleeve they were obligated to wear no matter how hot they got, she found comfort in the outfit. So much so, that she'd settled on wearing it for the base of her royal outfit. The one she'd wear if she was having a special dinner, just to keep the habit of wearing it for formal events in the future. Sure, she'd rarely ever had to go all out as she did today, putting on her matching long red cape, along with the head piece with her family crest, a single golden wing, engraved in it. And even went as far to pull out her family sword. She'd figured today was as good an opportunity as any to bring out her royal outfit.

She grinned at the way Catra had reacted at seeing her in it. Just remembering her reaction, the way her blue and yellow eyes looked her up and down as if they could devour her in an instant, gave her goosebumps. It made her genuinely resent Glimmer and Bow, just a little bit, for interrupting them.

"Catra!" Adora called out, cursing the school's ridiculously long hallways and it's rows and rows of doors. She went door by door, peeking her head in and calling out to her roommate. Until she got to the last one. It was a storage closet, and the irony was not lost on Adora.

"Hey," she gently tapped the door with her knuckles before leaning her forehead against the cool door. "Come out, Catra."

"Come on, Catra," She pressed her hands against the door.

"Let's talk about it." A pause. "Please? For me?"

The door suddenly opened, making Adora dive in head first through the door. Normally, she would have easily regained her balance. But. This being about Catra, she flopped into the room like a fish and landed on her. Her first instinct was to cover the back of her head and put her arm in the way to protect Catra from the impact.

"Ow," Catra shoved at her, "What the hell? Are you that much of a jock? Why would you lean against the door and tell me to open it?"

"Why would you open the door so suddenly?" Adora shoved back in vain. Her cape had gotten tangled in the mess, wrapping around them both and the more they tried to get untangled, the more they were trapped.

"Can you just—Ow!" Catra elbowed her on her side. "Watch it, Princess. That's—"

"I swear to god," Catra cursed. "Stop. Moving!" She held onto Adora's shoulders at arm's length.

Adora, noticing the sharpness of her gaze land on her, froze.

"Finally. Was that so hard?" Catra began to slowly untangle their limbs, muttering under her breath, "Geez, just like a little kid."

"Says you," Adora regained her composure, finally free. "You keep running away from us. From me."

"And you're the idiot who keeps chasing after me." Catra wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Why wouldn't I?" Adora spoke softly, as if any sudden movement would scare Catra away deeper into the dark closet. "I—I know it hasn't been long since we—But, I care about you, Catra. You need to understand that if you continue to run away, I'll just keep chasing after you. No matter what."

"No matter what…" Catra repeated her words as if testing them out. Trying, with every ounce of her being, to believe her words.

"Yes." Adora peered into her glowing eyes, seeing them fill with an internal battle that was filled with years of pain. "I promise."

Catra's eyes widened, two glowing gems in the dark. "You promise?"

Adora's gaze never faltered, her voice serious. "I promise, Catra."

"I will always be here to catch you. You just have to let me in." She paused. "And know that I'm not the only one who is here for you. Scorpia, Bow, even Glimmer, and everyone else is here for you. You aren't alone. You won't ever have to be alone again."

Catra didn't say anything for a while. Just closed her eyes and rested her head on Adora's shoulder. Even though the extra material of her costume made it a little awkward, she couldn't help but feel her emotions calm down a bit.

"When I was little," she began, her words barely above a whisper. "Sha—The woman in charge of the orphanage I grew up in…"

The one Kenna grew up in too, Adora couldn't help add in her mind bitterly.

"She always made a big deal about Halloween. Some of the others in the orphanage, like Scorpia, were also half human, and we were always singled out during this time. Sometimes it was okay, you know?" She shrugged. "It would be one of the only times a year we could have candy. Name brands. Not the cheap kind that made us sick sometimes."

"But sometimes," her voice turned hard, like she was actively trying to distance herself from the emotions that the events she was about to tell brought up. "Sometimes. The other kids weren't nice. Sometimes," Catra looked down at her longer-than-normal black nails, "It was just a reminder that I was a freak. Everyone else gets to go back to being normal after one day, but I was in a costume that I could never take off. A freak."

"But you aren't a freak," Adora said, turning to catch her mismatched eyes to get her to see how much she meant every word she was about to say, "I can't relate to feeling that way. But, I can say that those people are scumbags and don't deserve to be in your mind at all."

"And," Adora gently turned Catra's face to look at her and smiled brightly at her. "I think you're beautiful and perfect just the way you are. Anyone who can't see that is blind and stupid."

Catra stared at her, stunned.

Beautiful…

"Wow." A smile teased the corner of her lips. "I counted two and a half insults in there. Are you sure that's proper language for the Golden Child?"

Adora laughed and pulled her closer. "Please, as if anyone but you heard me. It's your word against mine."

"Oh?" Catra's tail coiled itself around her forearm. "Are you trying to blackmail me, Princess? 'Cause you might find that I'm better at it than you."

"Are you now?" Adora's voice got deeper and she glanced down at Catra's lips.

"Oh I definitely am," Catra licked her lips slowly, enjoying the way Adora's deep blues followed the movement. "I know just how to keep you quiet too." She turned, placing her legs on either side of Adora to sit on her lap, facing her.

"Mmm." Adora's heart skipped a beat. Her hands fell naturally to Catra's hips, holding her in place.

"Come on, Princess," Catra's lips were a breathe away from touching hers. "I haven't even started yet." To contradict her own words, she pressed the most intimate part of her onto Adora, loving the groan that earned her.

"There you go," Catra teased the sensitive skin on the back of her neck. "That's more like it."

"I thought you said no talking," Adora felt something inside her begin to throb at the anticipation growing by the second. It took all her willpower to not shove Catra against the wall and touch her exactly how she wanted to.

"Exactly…" Catra's glowing eyes dilated as her own body began to buzz with excitement, feeling a tingling sensation spread all over her body. "No more talking."

"Starting…now…" Their kiss started out slow, soft lips brushing against each other in a manner that was more natural than breathing. But it quickly changed pace, the fire that had simmered from earlier rekindled hotter than before.

This time, Adora did not hesitate. She moved her hands up from Catra's waist to cup the sides of her boobs, running her numb over her hardened nipples.

Catra broke their kiss, grabbed the edge of her shirt, slipped it over her head and threw it deeper into the closet. Following her example, Adora attempted to take off her costume quickly but fumbled with all the pieces. Seeing her struggle, Catra went for her pants, unbuttoning them. The edge of her sharp nails brushed against Adora, making her breath catch in her throat.

"Catra…" She gasped as she felt lips on her neck now.

"Shhh," Catra nibbled her collarbone. "No talking remember?"

A smirk spread across Adora's lips. "Bet."

Before she knew it, Catra was being shoved against the door, soft lips devouring hers as she was grabbed by her ass and lifted off the ground. Her legs wrapped themselves around Adora's waist instantly, throwing her head back as she felt Adora take her nipple into her mouth.

Fuck…Catra thought as a tongue twirled around the sensitive perky bud. The sensation made her clit cry out in need, wanting to have that tongue on it instead. Her head was spinning, every kiss, every flick of that tongue, every caress was setting her on fire. She was suffocating in a wave of pleasure that she never wanted to stop. She never wanted those soft lips to stop touching her. To feel them on her lips, her neck, her breasts...to feel them in the most intimate part of her.

More, she thought as her body continued to be claimed by Adora's rough and tender touch. More. She needed more. But before she could begin to return the favor, Adora got on her knees in front of her. Suddenly, Catra's pants were nowhere to be seen, and Adora was pushing her underwear to the side.

"Adora," her voice was barely above a whisper. She spoke that single word oh so softly, that they could have deluded themselves that she ever said it.

But the hands on her were very real. And so were the sparks of pleasure that coursed through her entire body when she was lifted into the air, legs resting on strong broad shoulders. And finally, finally, she felt that delicious hot tongue on her pulsating clit.

The sensation was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was intoxicating, it was maddening. The dark heightening all of her senses. Every inch of her was on fire. From her clit, to her hardened exposed nipples. Everything was burning. And dizzying. She intertwined her fingers in Adora's long hair that had come undone and grabbed on like her life depended on it.

Strong arms held her there, trapped between the wall and Adora's tongue. With every flick on her clit, Catra could feel something hot building at the pit of her stomach, pleasure coiling inside every inch of her. Just thinking of all that power, the ease at which Adora held her there, never faltering, hands digging into her ass...it was doing unnamable things to her. She couldn't help but throw her head back, swaying her hips to add even more friction, loving when Adora followed her lead and adjusted to her rhythm quickly.

Suddenly, she wanted, needed, to come. Every muscle in her was beginning to tense in that familiar way, with the promise of an orgasm.

So close...

Adora grinned. "Good to know."

"I—" Catra felt every bit of her flush at realizing she'd said it out loud. When had she become this person? The kind that lingered during sex. To her, it was as simple as following a recipe. But this felt different. Too raw. Too real. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Like her every nerve, her every secret was out in the open for everyone to witness.

"Shut up," was all she could muster out. She shoved all of those thoughts away and instead focused on the way Adora was masterfully pleasing her. Pleasing her.

As if a flip had been switched, Catra reached in between her legs and stroked Adora's hair.

"That all you got, Princess?" She grinned. "Guess the rumors weren't true."

"Rumors?" Adora raised a brow.

"What?" Catra ran a sharp nail along her chin. "You think I didn't hear all about your technique?"

Adora laughed. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about this," Catra inserted a finger into Adora's mouth. In response, she twirled her tongue around it and sucked gently while looking up at her with wide, heated eyes.

"Mmm," Catra hummed in approval. "Maybe there's some truth to it."

"Guess I'll just have to convince you." Adora dove back in, licking and sucking harder than before, making sure to hit all the right spots. It took all it had in Catra to not moan out loud at the sudden attack on her clit.

As if that wasn't enough, Catra felt fingers tease her before sliding inside of her with ease. The friction from Adora's fingers thrusting in and out at a steady pace, plus her tongue drawing circles on her clit was enough to make her moan now. At that moment, she didn't care about anything else. She began moving her hips to the pace Adora had put, picking it up as she felt that pleasure coiling inside of her begin to build..and build...and build...

And then, it hit her all at once. A wave of intense pleasure tightened her insides around the fingers that were now slowly dragging out her orgasm. It was so intense she had to brace herself, shoving her hands in Adora's hair, tugging at it, swaying her hips, riding out her orgasm for everything it was worth.

Even when it was over, she leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily, her naked chest heaving up and down. Ever so softly, Adora gently let her back down so she could sit on the floor with her.

The response was automatic: Catra's heart sank. This was it. It was that moment again. She turned away, beginning to look for her clothes that had been thrown into the darkness. Spotting it in a corner on top of a storage box, she got up to get her shirt, searching for her bralette that had somehow disappeared too. Before she could grab it, a hand got to it first, offering the piece of garment.

"You okay?" Adora's gentle eyes seemed to cause something in Catra to stir.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She slipped her shirt back on, "Hurry up and fix yourself."

"Catra..." There was a pleading tone in Adora's voice that was pissing her off.

"Just—fix your damn hair." Catra ran a hand through her own, struggling with all the knots that had formed.

"Here," Adora quickly swiped her hair up into her usual ponytail in one swoop and reached over to help Catra. "Let me."

"What are you—" Catra tensed up at the feeling of her reaching over.

"Just turn around!" At the sharp note in her voice, Catra's body responded, her heart pounding in her chest again.

And then, the gentlest of touches stroked her hair. It was the exact opposite of the way Adora had been touching her not that long ago. Her hands had been rough in the best way, but now, those same hands brushed her hair tenderly, undoing every knot meticulously, as if too much force would break Catra. It stirred her in a way that was foreign to her.

"Just one more." She was so close to her again, her breath made Catra's ear flicker. "And...there."

"Thanks," Catra whispered, scared to burst the bubble that had formed around them in that closet.

She felt those gentle hands on her again, turning her around to face soft blue eyes.

"Good as new." Adora smiled at her.

"I—you—" Catra cleared her throat, her heart had yet to go back to its normal pace. And then, she realized, it was because she was echoing the one she could hear. Adora's heart beats were nice and strong, comforting. Even if it was beating slightly faster than normal.

A soft unexpected sound filled the room.

Is she...? Adora's eyes widened, looking down at Catra, her hand pausing in the spot right behind her ears that she had laid it on.

"Are you purring?" She grinned widely, being unable to hold back the teasing tone in her voice.

"I am not!" The bright red flush on her cheeks was unmistakable, even in the dark.

"You so are!" Adora wrapped her arm around her head, ruffling up the hair she had just fixed. "Like this? You like this?"

"No, I don't! Stop it, Adora!" Catra's laugh was the most beautiful sound Adora had ever heard. It made everything, everything, worth it.

"There's that smile," Adora mirrored her and beamed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Catra eyed her suspiciously when her grin only got bigger.

"Nothingggg~" Adora said but the hands she kept suspiciously behind her said otherwise.

"I—" Suddenly, Catra realized they were still in the closet, making it that she was trapped to whatever Adora was scheming, unless she stepped back outside.

"Adora," she warned, stepping away from her and closer to the door, "Don't, whatever you're thinking, don't you fucking dare."

"What am I doing?" Adora batted her eyelashes. "I'm not doing anything." She crept closer, slowly, her body still shielding what she was hiding.

"HA!" She jerked forward as soon as she got close enough, attempting to capture Catra but she was out the door already, zooming through the long corridor.

"Come back! Catra!" Adora shouted after her as she began to chase her. Even though she could have easily caught up to her, the sight of Catra looking over her shoulder as she ran away from the crown that Adora held out was a moment she wanted to prolong in her memory.

"I swear if you put that damn crown on me I will scratch your eyes out!" Catra's words were harsh but the twinkling in her mismatched eyes lit up her face. Their laughter echoed down the corridor and reached to the end of it, leading towards the room where everyone else was still getting their sets ready.

Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing as the couple returned, relieved to see them back and in better spirits. Their joy was short lived as the pair began to chase each other around the room, barely dodging the projects spread out on the floors and tables.

"Stop flirting, guys!" Glimmer shouted at them, trying to get them to stop chasing each other. Somehow, the crown had ended up on Catra's head and she was now the one chasing Adora, taking half hearted jabs at her whenever she got close enough.

In a swift movement, she yanked her by her cape, pulling hard enough to have her stumble, but the sudden brake in their running made Catra lose her own balance. Before either of them could react, they found themselves on the floor. Again.

Light-hearted laughter erupted from the Best Friend Squad at witnessing their shenanigans again. All was well if those two were okay.

"Yes, yes, very funny," Glimmer rolled her eyes, "You two, either help or get out."

"Yes, let's do that," Catra said, eyes lighting up with hope. "Let's get out of here."

"Nope!" Scorpia trapped the couple in her long strong arms. "Nobody is leaving. It's Halloween! It only comes around once a year!"

"Yeah, that's kind of how holidays work." Even though Catra could have easily wiggled her way out of her grasp, she secretly wanted to indulge in yummy treats.

"Princess Glimmer," a girl dressed up as a bat, came up to the group, "Everyone is pretty much ready."

"Good," Glimmer's voice turned all business. "Okay! Everyone, let's head out. We're already behind schedule because of some people." Dozens of eyes landed on the two in question.

Catra coughed when Adora's elbow dug into her side sharply. That just earned the blonde a smack on the back of her head.

"If only they knew," Catra whispered into Adora's ear.

A delicious shiver traveled down her spine as a flashback of the way Catra tasted came back to her. The memory was enough to feel her insides throb with desire, needing to feel her again so soon.

Her eyes must have given her away since Catra's grin widened, showing a singular sharp fang on the corner of her mouth.

"You know," Adora cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly in a failed attempt to clear her head of those foggy thoughts. "That crown surprisingly suits you."

Catra couldn't throw it across the room fast enough, the crown turning into a pink blur in the air before crashing in some empty boxes.

Adora's laughter only made Catra's cheeks flush redder with embarrassment.

"Hey, there's no shame in wanting to wear a crown," Adora petted her head quickly, dodging when she went to slash her hand away.

"Well, you're a princess," Catra rolled her eyes, "Of course you'd like wearing one."

"Hm," Adora mused for a second, trying to recall the last time she had to wear one. "When my brother got sworn in when we were ten. Yeah, I think that's the last time I was forced into a formal dress." She waved a hand to her "costume." "I've made some changes to it of course."

Catra snorted. "You had the choice to dress up as anything you wanted and that's what you chose? Your royal attire?" She began to circle her, taking her time to admire her from head to toe again. Those pants were baggy and yet she could still see the curve of every muscle in her legs. Her ridiculous cape covered most of her, but she still got a delicious view of her front through the thin blouse she wore. If only she had gotten a better view of her in the closet...maybe a bit more skin...

Soon, Catra thought to herself, stopping behind Adora, admiring the way she casually rested a hand on the hilt of her sword, the thought of her pointing its sharp edge towards her made her eyes dilate with need.

"—during winter it's fine but it can get a little hot during summer but I just take off the undershirt." Catra's eyes followed Adora's hands as she took off her cape, pulling at the thin fabric.

"Honestly," there was a smirk in Adora's voice now. "I'm half tempted to take it off now. It's very..."

"Hot." That single word made Catra's inside begin to flare up again. She couldn't help notice the way her lips formed that single word. Those lips and that mouth...they were good. Way too good. It was like it knew exactly where to touch her, almost immediately finding the spot she loved to be touched at. And her fingers? Fuck. They were skilled beyond belief. That thought made Catra a little jealous. Others had had the privilege of feeling them too...

She shoved those thoughts away. This was not something she could hold against Adora. She wasn't always hers.

But she is now.

Her tail wrapped tightly around Adora's waist. She stepped closer to her, resting her hands on the half-raised blouse Adora still held in her hands. Sharp nails grazed the skin peeking through the fabric. The magicat made sure to press a little harder than she normally would in order to get Adora's full attention. Not that was hard seeing as Adora's breath caught in the back of her throat, her heartbeat racing at their close proximity. Not for the first time, Catra thanked her super hearing; she loved knowing the effect she had on her. It made her feel powerful. The Golden Child at her mercy.

"It's up to you if you want to take it off," Catra all but purred, this time not caring if it showed a softer side of her she usually kept hidden.

"But," she leaned even closer, her lips near Adora's ear, her sultry words having the desired effect as Adora was frozen in place, her usual controlled demeanor beginning to crumble under her fingertips. "It's also up to you if you want everyone to see that."

"See wha—" Adora gasped, the feeling of sharp teeth digging into her skin was both wonderful and shocking. Catra made sure not to dig too deep, even though she knew if she wanted to, she could leave a permanent mark. But, for now, a temporary love mark would have to do.

She milked it, her tongue slowly tracing the indent she'd left on Adora's lower abdomen. To Adora, it seemed like such an out of body experience.

Catra. On her knees. Sucking her skin. Out in the open. Where anyone could walk in and see at any second. It was both mortifying and thrilling.

"Catra..." Adora's voice was not her own. It was too thick, heavy with desire. Desperate. Needy.

"There." The magicat stood up, her toothy grin sending Adora's heart rate into overdrive. How could someone be so hot and sexy and alluring? Every word, every movement...it appealed to every one of Adora's senses. She could go crazy just from being close to her. And it certainly didn't help that just as much as she wanted to touch Catra, she needed to be touched by her too. Needed to feel more of her tongue, her lips, her fingers...

"Guys! There you are!" Glimmer's sudden voice made both of them jump. They were bound to be found but Adora had hoped they would have more time alone.

Why did she want to go to this thing again?

"Thanks for not helping." Adora noticed Glimmer had changed into her costume.

It was like a splash of cold water. Oh. Right. Princess duties. Just as quickly as she had appeared in the room, she stomped away, making sure that the other two were following her. She mumbled under her breath about how much help they'd been and how grateful she was to have such greatfriends.

The pair reluctantly followed her. Adora saw a flash of something in Catra's eyes as they passed by a clothing rack filled with abandoned costumes.

"Wait," Adora grabbed Catra's arm to stop her just before they exited the building. "Glimmer, can you give us a sec?"

"A sec?! Didn't you already—"

"Please?" Adora said, her face had a seriousness her friend was beginning to get used to seeing when it came to Catra.

Is it possible that she…towards Catra... Glimmer looked between the two of them, this singular moment cementing the idea that they were a thing, a real thing, in her mind. Not that she hadn't considered it before, but seeing as they were both locked away from the rest of the world for several days, shutting everyone out...including her...

"Don't take forever," was all the princess said. Adora made a mental note to check in with her later.

"What was that all about?" Catra raised a brow at her.

"Well..." Adora, with the gentleness of a leaf falling on the ground softly, grabbed her hand, leading her to the clothing rack.

"I thought since, you know," a soft blush colored her cheeks, "you've never had a proper Halloween, I mean, based on what you told me, I just, well, wouldn't it be nice if you got to participate."

Catra pretended to play dumb. "But I am? I'm getting candy."

"No yeah," Adora said quickly, "but, I, um, think it could be fun for you if you got to...dress up too…" She spoke the last words hesitantly.

Catra couldn't help it. She laughed.

"You—think I want to dress up?" Her body shook with laughter, holding her sides. "I—just— I can't believe—me dressing up." She wiped a tear off the corner of her eye.

"Sorry," Adora's face was beet red. "I just thought—"

"I know," Catra stopped laughing, a serious glint in her eyes now. "I appreciate the thought. I really do. But, I'm not five anymore. I don't need to dress up. It's just a dumb tradition."

"But it's not dumb," Adora clasped her hands over Catra's, holding them firmly. "You may not be five anymore, but at least do it once. You deserve to have something you want once in a while."

Catra stared at her, stunned, mismatched eyes widening and shimmering like jewels in the now-dark room. It was just them two in the big room once again, the darkness providing a sense of intimacy that was deeper than when they were in that tiny closet. Adora seemed to hold her breath as she awaited Catra's next move. For all she knew, Catra would lash out as she'd seen her do so many times before when the subject got touchy. Or just brush it off like it didn't matter when it clearly did.

But the magicat didn't say anything. Instead, she let go of her lover's hands and took a step back.

Adora felt her heart squeeze. Had she pushed too far? Was Catra going to disappear into her room again for days? Weeks? Why had she brought it up? Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut? Could—?

Did I just ruin this? She flinched at the thought. Had she broken their budding relationship?

The sound of zippers opening snapped her out of her trance.

She looked up only to find Catra digging through the rack of costumes, pulling them out enough to check what they were before closing them and moving onto the next.

She stared, dumbfounded.

"Ah," Catra said, throwing a playful grin at Adora. "I think I found one you'd like."

Adora's heart skipped a beat.

.

.

"Hmph." Glimmer absently nipped on a caramelized apple. Around her, hundreds of BMU students were all sporting their own costumes, going trick or treating in the fake doors they had set up. The smell of caramel and chocolate and popcorn and all kinds of gooey sweets filled the air. Twinkling lights sparkled in the night, giving the evening a magical light orange tint.

Everything had been working out well. Members of the Princess dorm were all giving out informational flyers to all participants, taking pictures as they made their way around the vast yard the event was taking place in. In the middle of the court, there was a statue of Glimmer's mother, big angelic wings spread out, shielding the many students around, like a guardian angel looking after them.

"I have a feeling," Bow rested his arm around her shoulder, "That this is about Adora."

The ghost of a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. Leave it to her boyfriend to already know what she was thinking about.

"I just," she sighed, leaning into his touch. He was warm, as always. Skin soft to the touch. Solid. Comforting. "I thought I had finally made a friend."

"Ouch," Bow said.

"You know what I mean," Glimmer shoved him with her arm. But just as quickly, laced their arms together, squeezing his forearm sharply.

"We hardly get to see her anymore. I thought," she whimpered. "I thought she could be a part of our group..."

"Hey, hey," Bow placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "She is a part of our group. She's our friend. I know you got attached to her quickly and that now she spends a lot of her time with Catra—" Glimmer glared at the mention of the magicat. "Uh, I mean, other people, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about us."

"If that's true then why is she spending so much of her time with others?" She spat out the last word, dropping Bow's arm.

"Glimmer." He stood in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. He waited a few heartbeats, silently waiting for her to look up at him as he continued to soothe her with gentle affirmations.

But she was too busy glaring at the ground, the giant witch hat she wore loomed over her eyes. In the moon-lit night, it was easy to dismiss her watery eyes for a reflection of the night stars decorating the late October night.

Her nose hurt as she held the urge to sob. It was ridiculous. She knew that. To get so worked up over someone she had just befriended. And yet, there was a tightening in her chest, a lump in her throat she couldn't swallow.

It's all her fault, she rubbed her eyes quickly with her sleeve. She ruined everything. An image of that annoying, cocky grin made her want to kick something. And scream. And shout. And cry.

But she bit back her tears. She couldn't allow herself to be seen in that state. Not by everyone who was waiting for her to fail. Oh yeah, she was very aware of all the stares she was getting by all the other Princesses. No doubt to report back to their own kingdoms. Bright Moon may be the biggest and most vast of all the kingdoms but that didn't mean that all the smaller ones didn't matter. Her mother made sure to include all of them in their own decision making in order to make sure everything ran smoothly across the country. But, thanks to that, it also meant that together they held the power to bring everything down with them. And in order to make sure that didn't happen, Glimmer had to be involved in all matters concerning the student body at BMU.

"—always have me," Bow's voice brought her back from her thoughts. His velvety voice always had a way of pulling her back from spiraling. Him, with his kind words and gentle smile, always brightened her day no matter what. Though, sometimes, even he couldn't bring her back, but this time, tonight, she didn't want to mope or complain. Not when she still had her duty to fulfill.

"Thanks, Bow," she caressed his cheek, smiling slightly up at him, "for always being here for me. I appreciate it a lot." The uncertainty in his eyes almost made her break down right then and there but she held on.

Now is definitely not the time to be having a meltdown, she thought to herself. That's what the privacy of her room was for.

A snarky snort made her smile instantly turn into a scowl.

"Looking good there, Sparkles," Catra's sharp tone was always enough to make her skin crawl. There was just something about her sarcastic attitude that really rubbed her the wrong way. Like the rules don't apply to her. Like the whole world came to a stop every time she spoke, listening.

It's all her fault.

"Glad you could finally join us," her voice sounded foreign to herself but she didn't care. "And of course it has to be when we have absolutely nothing left for you to do."

"The universe decided to spare me." The words coming out of her mouth were hard to pay attention to, as a commotion began to erupt behind them. Several students gathered at one of the stands, even from the slightly raised booth they were currently standing on, it was hard to decipher what was going on.

And just like that, Glimmer was in business mode, Catra be damned.

"What's wrong?" Even Bow, without any formal title tying him down, was quick to stay by her side and offer his help.

"She twisted her ankle," Frosta's familiar voice in the middle of the noisy crowd was enough to further calm down Glimmer.

"I'm so sorry," the girl said, "I really wanted to help, Princess Glimmer, but—" she bit her tongue, stopping her stammering.

Glimmer quickly recognized the girl as the daughter of the kingdom next door to Plumeria. It was a tiny town compared to the older and more established plant expert realm. Perfuma had taken it under her wing, teaching them as much as she knew, some of the younger pupils going to that tiny town for field trips and assisting in community service. At least it had been that way for a while until a few months ago when they had discovered a rare flower abundantly growing in their caves; a luminous flower that allowed for late night workers to rely on their source of power instead of fire which was known to cause many wildfires. That single discovery had put them on the map. Now, they were a touristic town bringing in enough revenue to meet the criteria to elect a princess thanks to their "special contribution to a designated group of people that aids, assists, and/or benefits their people for the greater good". They did not hold as much prestige as a blood-born princess but they were slowly moving up the ranks, hence Princess Sophia attending this university. So she could learn and get better immersed in this new world. And to get closer to the Princess of Bright Moon.

All the disdain Glimmer held a few minutes ago suddenly evaporated. The crowd was pressing suffocatingly closer, wanting to get the scoop on the newest addition to the Princess club. And her first screw up.

"Guys, get back!" Glimmer motioned for the crowd to disperse. "Give her some space!"

"Can you walk?" Suddenly Adora was there, offering an ever-so-helpful hand to Sophia.

"I think so," Sophia tried to lean her weight on her ankle but winced as she did so. There was very evident bruising on her right ankle, even Glimmer could see it in the dim light.

"Here," even Scorpia and Perfuma showed up to help. Scorpia held an ice pack in her claw, offering it to Sophia while Perfuma was on the phone, presumingly with campus aids.

"Did you seriously not hear Glimmer? Back off, people." Mermista glared at the stubborn crowd that wanted to see what was going on.

"Everyone..." Glimmer stared in awe as they all chimed in to assist. Well, everyone except two.

"Catra! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Entrapta circled around the magicat, eyes sparkling. "I've been dying to get to examine you further! My last test was very enlightening. I had no idea that your eyes could dilate so much! Especially whenever you got a text from Ador—"

"Shut it!" Seeing Catra all flustered was satisfying.

"Got something to say, Glitter?" Catra glared at her at seeing her try to hold in her laughter.

"Oh I have plenty to say," she responded, "But I have more important things to take care of."

"Glimmer," Adora nudged her, her brows forward disapprovingly, asking her, begging her to get along.

Fuck no, the princess thought to herself, why do I have to be the one to play nice? I mean, look at her.

And of course the second she thought that, Catra was next to Adora, not assisting exactly, but on standby, looking oh so supportive, so seemingly nice.

I still don't like her. Glimmer huffed and returned to her princess duties, like she was supposed to.

Bow watched in awe and worry as he saw her handle the situation flawlessly, feeling like there was something brewing inside of her at that moment.

.

.

"Trick or Treat!" A goblin and elf held out their bags in front of them, awaiting yummy treats.

"Here you go!" Adora's goofy smile hadn't left her face since they started to give out candy.

"Thanks!" The two students went on to the next activity.

It was later in the night now, the occasional student still participating at the Halloween festival, mostly just them trying to get as many sweets as they could now that the crowd had thinned out. But even then, many were dispersing. After all, it was a weekday. That and the after parties that Catra was sure were happening around made many clear out sooner than expected. In fact, she knew they were happening at that moment, since Adora's track team friends had shown up a while ago to try to tear her away from helping but it seemed her princess duties triumphed over track.

It had left a strange sensation in Catra's chest. Especially when Adora seemed to be so at home while participating in such an event. Sure, Catra may have secretly been wanting to partake in Halloween, at least once in her life, but that didn't mean she wanted to host it. That was never part of her plan.

And yet, there she was, wearing a vampire costume, handing out candy. She had ended up being convinced to go all out thanks to the golden retriever she had as a girlfriend. Somehow they had managed to pull back her thick mane into a ponytail, slicking back the front pieces of her hair. Her costume itself was familiar since it was the same dark-burgundy tone of her only suit. It fit perfectly, snug around her hips with a strange layered piece in place of a regular tie around her neck. She pulled at it, feeling weird about wearing it since even with her regular tie, she usually had it undone. But, Adora had insisted it pulled together her vampire costume, giving it a gothic look that Catra liked despite her groaning about it being too much. And, of course, her outfit would not be complete without a cape of her very own. It wasn't as fancy as Adora's who's was made with better material, but it was still a soft velvet, with shoulder pads giving Catra's silhouette more definition.

The magicat sighed, handing out a fist full of sweets to the next person. And the next. And the next.

Most of the good stuff had been given away earlier than expected, and Shimmer made sure to keep an eye on Catra so she couldn't sneak any of it while on the clock. But even her hovering didn't stop the magicat from pocketing handfuls of it. That just meant that they were stuck with the lame candy that no one wanted, and in a desperate attempt to be healthy, they began handing out fruits like apples and tangerines. Not even covered in a sweet glaze, just plain ol' fruit. Which was both a let down but hilarious to Catra. Leave it to the Princess' to ruin something fun with healthy options.

"Catra." She snapped out of her thoughts to find Adora peering down at her. The ever-present flutter in her chest grew stronger at having those intense blues shimmer in the dark. That and she was still highly aware of the sword she had hidden behind her long cape. It seemed a little odd that she'd decide to carry an actual blade around with her, but she enjoyed the idea that she made it seem effortless.

She licked her lips at imagining what that kind of power could do to her. After all, their alone time had been cut way too short for her liking. If she could, she'd take her right then and there.

"You know," Adora leaned closer to her, placing a hand on the table beside them, stepping toward until her thigh rested in between Catra's. "I'm loving the costume. It's very you."

Catra flashed her naturally sharp canines that doubled as vampire teeth. "Is that so?" She snaked her tail around Adora's forearm. "Is that an invitation? If I remember correctly, you once wanted me to bite you."

She pressed herself harder against Adora's thigh. "Was once not enough?" She smirked, glad to hear the princess' heart rate pick up a bit.

Did Adora know that she could hear every abnormality in her breathing and tone whenever she interacted with her? Because it was certainly fun.

"Maybe it'll never be enough." Throbbing. The throbbing was back. And knowing that Adora now wore her mark made it a million times better. Just what kind of spell did this blonde princess put on her that those simple words could cause her to burn with want and need?

Maybe it was the glint in her eyes whenever she looked at her, or maybe it was the way her smile was shaped by the most soft-looking lips she'd ever seen, or maybe it was the way her muscles gleamed in the morning light, or maybe it was the way her hair would fall when she pulled it out of it's usual ponytail, or maybe it was the way she said her name, sometimes a whisper, or a murmur, and other times a moan...

"Damn, Princess," Catra purred, feigning control. "Sounding a little desperate there."

"Desperate?" Adora was fighting fire with fire, placing a firm hand on the magicat's lower back, pressing her even closer to her. "You're the one who can't seem to be even two steps away from me."

"Maybe," Catra smirked, "or maybe it's just 'cause you're the one holding me hostage."

"If I were, trust me, you'd know."

"Ugh, guys, seriously?" Sparkles popped out of nowhere. Seriously, was she everywhere?

Tsk. Catra glared at her for interrupting them. Again.

"Kinda busy here, Sparkles," Catra made a point by coiling her tail around Adora's midsection, the tip of her tail brushing against the sword that lay hidden.

"No you aren't," her squeaky voice was so hilarious to the magicat. For all she tried to be seen as a big bad scary princess, she sure had a hard time being intimidating. "Because there's no one else here."

"What?" The couple looked out to the rest of the festival, and sure enough, there was barely any students left, and some stands had already packed up while others were beginning to follow suit.

Huh, Catra thought, no wonder Glitter seems to be so touchy. Wait. That means that…

"So," she grabbed Adora by her cape, tugging her away from the table. "What I'm hearing is that we're out of here."

The sparkly princess scoffed. "You can't just leave, you have to help clean up."

"Look," Catra stepped in front of her, looking down on her (a fact that she enjoyed immensely since she was on the shorter side herself).

"I didn't want to be here at all." She pointed at her with a sharp-nailed finger. "So be glad that I even helped hand out your stupid candy and played nice."

"Guys," Adora tried to interject but the two were already going at it.

"You irresponsible little—"

"Oh because you're oh so responsible," Catra mocked, tugging Adora more in the opposite direction.

"More than you, that's for sure." Glimmer glared at her, grabbing onto Adora's arm, beginning a tug-of-war with her.

"Only because being a princess is your entire personality." Catra tugged back sharply.

"At least I have one." Glimmer yanked hard.

"Glimmer, Catra!" Adora finally freed herself from their grasp. "Can't you guys not argue for once? We all helped out—"

"Some more than others," Glimmer interjected.

"We all had a fun time—"

"Debatable." Catra spat out.

"And we made some nice memories together." Adora finished.

"Adora's right." Suddenly the rest of their princess group was back, being drawn by Adora's words.

"We only have so much time together at BMU before we have to go our own ways," Perfuma, ever the optimist, continued. She had gone all out for her costume, big sparkly wings attached to her back, complete with glitter covering every inch of exposed skin from her shoulder-less dress. To Catra, it appeared almost no different than her usual outfit, which were all pastel and flower-y.

"Perfuma's right," Scorpia chimed in. She had changed from her cat-inspired costume into a matching fairy costume to complete Perfuma's. It was almost surreal, seeing her sport something so sparkly and shimmery when she, just like Catra, had been given rags at best to wear in their youth. It was almost bittersweet seeing just how quickly her life had evolved while the magicat stayed stuck in the past for the most part.

"It's been so nice getting to know everyone. Going to parties and hanging out. It's more than I could have ever hoped for. You guys make me feel so at home." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Wow, Catra thought, it must be nice.

"We need to cherish our friendship before we get all busy with princess stuff." Princess Scorpia finished up, Perfuma going to quickly hand her a handkerchief to dry the corner of her eyes.

"Well some of us won't be." Catra's monotone voice burst their pink, sparkly bubble.

"Right," Glimmer rolled her eyes. "Some of us will have actual responsibilities."

"That sounds like a you problem." The magicat seemed completely done with the conversation as she turned to her partner.

"Adora?" She tugged at her cape, signaling that she wanted out.

The blonde nodded to her. "Well, I'll catch you guys later." Adora turned to Glimmer and Bow, "This was...unbelievable, guys. Thanks so much for doing this, I had a blast."

"But..." Sparkles was really going for the pity card today. It really was begging to irk Catra.

And that's when Adora left her side. The fabric of her cape slid right through her fingers as she went to give her friend a hug. She whispered something to her before letting go. Whatever she said must have done the trick 'cause Shimmer quit pouting and appeared...smug?

Catra felt her mood darken, a sudden empty feeling settling inside of her.

.

.

Heavy silence followed them as they made their way back to their dorms.

Maybe I pushed too much, Adora thought. She knew that all the princess stuff could be overwhelming for a first-timer.

Had she been too naive in thinking that she would enjoy it too? Based on the way Catra was kicking every rock they came across in their path, her answer was yes. It was too much too soon.

Now, if only she would admit to it, but knowing Catra's temperament, she never would. She wouldn't acknowledge anything that was making her feel uneasy, or anything that was bothering her. But, what Adora liked about her, or at least one of the many things, is that she was transparent in her tells; at least, they were to Adora.

When her tail swooshed back and forth sharply, when her brow furrowed ever so slightly, when she locked her jaw...

But when she had her arms crossed, wrapping them around herself, like she did now, it meant she was feeling the opposite of anger. It was a more vulnerable feeling. Which meant that Adora had royally fucked up.

"The candy was good right?" Adora said, testing the waters.

"Hm," was all she got in return. But she took it as a good sign since Catra wasn't threatening to claw her eyes out.

She hummed happily, stepping closer to her as they walked side by side. After that, Catra stopped kicking rocks. Adora smiled to herself.

"And everything was so great! The costumes, the decorations, it was all very beautiful." Stars decorated her eyes as she continued to talk about everything they got to do. For most of the time, they were helping out but they were able to sneak out for a few minutes. Aside from using that time to make out, they were able to stare at the night stars. Well, Adora stared at them, comparing the constellations to Catra's freckles. Meanwhile, Catra played with Adora's fingers, wiggling them and analyzing every crevasse as if the answers of the universe were written there.

"I had so much fun," Adora continued, feeling brave enough to reach for her hand. It must have been perfect timing since Catra didn't instantly withdraw from her touch.

"But, mostly," she laced their fingers together, stepping closer to her, "I'm glad I got to do something new with you."

The softness in her voice matched the softness of the autumn leaves grazing the floor as they fell around them. The street, decorated with sprinkled warm-toned leaves, led the way back to their dorm. Back to the one place they both felt at home and at peace, away from prying eyes.

They held hands in content silence all the way back, Adora's heart soared into great heights at being able to have a quiet, intimate moment with Catra again. There was always all this noise surrounding her, words coming from all directions, asking, demanding things from her. She had no problem responding to each and every one of those voices, though. It's just that she preferred the tranquil feeling she seemed to feel only when Catra was around. Her snarky witty comments, and insults with no real bite, was the only thing that seemed to lull the voice in Adora's head telling her all the million things she had to do. Those thoughts simply were pushed into a far corner of her mind, and would unfortunately, return once she was alone.

Adora smiled to herself and flung her arms around Catra, rubbing her face against her cheek repeatedly.

"Catraaaa~"

"What's gotten into you?" The magicat attempted to push her away.

"Hehe, nothing~" Adora grinned even as she was being shoved through the door of their dorm.

"Every time you say 'nothing' I worry about what's going on in that mind of yours." She eyed her suspiciously.

"That's so mean," Adora pouted.

"Please," Catra went into their kitchen, gulping down a glass of water in one go. "Last time you had that look on your face, I ended up in a tiara." She paused.

"Actually that reminds me," she began to dismantle her costume. It had begun to weigh her down, the thin layer of sweat covering her fur was very uncomfortable to say the least.

A flash made her freeze in place just as she was beginning to undo the poofy napkin-looking thing attached to her neck.

She immediately went to snatch the polaroid that printed out, but Adora held it out of her reach.

"I knew it!" Catra shoved her, but she laughed as Adora moved the printed image from hand to hand to avoid it getting snatched away. "I knew you were up to something!"

Adora's laugh was like soft kisses under the rain. "What're you gonna do about it? You can't even reach."

Accepting the challenge, Catra pretended to continue her half-assed attempts to get the image that by then had developed. Adora had that jock cocky grin of hers on her face, clearly enjoying the height difference between them. Too bad for her, Catra was used to being the shorter one in disputes.

She grabbed the blonde's wrist, squeezing tightly, not enough to cause any real harm, but enough to get her to gasp at the sudden feeling. Taking advantage that she let her guard down, Catra kicked her in the shin, making her double over. The magicat swiftly spun around her, pressing Adora's wrist against her back, officially trapped.

"Ow, ow, ow," Adora winced at feeling Catra tighten her grip on her slightly.

"What was that you were saying?" Catra purred, leaning in close to whisper into Adora's ear from behind her. She let her tail wander, pulling her tightly closer to her. "'You can't even reach?' You mean reach this?" She caught the polaroid in between her thumb and index finger, swinging it like bait in front of Adora.

"I—um." The magicat looked delighted that the blond couldn't form a complete sentence. She decided to see how far she could push her.

"You really thought I wouldn't be able to win?" She leaned down enough so she could lick the back of Adora's neck, where she knew she was sensitive. "Something to always keep in mind, princess, is that..."

"I always win." She finalized her statement by adding another love bite just behind Adora's ear, somewhere intimate yet visible since the blonde always wore her hair up.

Good. Maybe this way, certain people, the magicat pictured a certain teammate of Adora's, will stop going after what's mine.

"Two in a day?" Suddenly, there was a sturdiness to Adora's voice, no longer filled with surprise nor pain. And her signature grin was back, even though Catra was still holding her arm behind her back, pressing firmly. But that didn't seem to matter to her anymore.

Fine, Catra thought to herself, if you want to be like that...

But she was the one who gasped in surprise this time, feeling her wrist being twisted, her entire body being slammed against the door. Her arms ended up being held above her head, a single hand holding both of her thin wrists.

"And you shouldn't forget," Adora smirked at seeing her shocked face and widened mismatched eyes, "that I can take you on any time, any place."

The innuendo was not lost on her. The now-familiar tingling sensation that only Adora seemed to be able to provoke out of her was back.

"Now," just as quickly as she had grabbed her, Adora let her go, but the butterflies in Catra's stomach didn't subside, "We should put all this stuff away."

"What stuff?" Catra batted her eyes innocently.

A raised brow was her only response.

Silence.

Then.

"Oh, you mean this?" The magicat emptied out her cape's pockets, pouring all the candy and treats she'd stolen onto the kitchen counter. "What can I say?" She shrugged, "You learn to take as much as you can when you can. First rule of living in an orphanage." She began to sort them out, putting her favorite ones in a big bowl.

"Mhmm," is all Adora says, trying to stay nonchalant. This was one of the rare moments she'd decided to open up about her experience living in an orphanage. Not that it would take much guessing to figure out how much it impacted her. Oh yeah, she was more than aware of the bag filled with cash that Catra kept in her closet. She'd wandered in there once, looking for one of the hoodies Catra had "borrowed" from her, and instead found her stash. It didn't take a genius to know that she was keeping it there for emergencies. Adora never had to worry about money like she did, so the feeling was foreign to her, but still, Catra was entitled to privacy. If she didn't want to mention it, as she had failed to mention her ex, it was for good reason.

An orange tumbled out of Catra's pile of goods.

Adora snorted. "And here I thought you were the one complaining that they'd given fruit instead of candy like 'it's supposed to be.' For someone who hasn't participated much in it, you sure have a lot of demands for it."

That earned her a shove on her shoulder.

Which she instantly returned.

After partaking in their usual trade of blows, they called it quits, both feeling bruises forming. They really had to learn to not get too carried away with their play.

"Okay, okay," Catra said, "I'm sick of being in this costume. If I may, princess, I'll go take a shower."

"Wait," Adora quickly grabbed the singular piece of fruit in their entire apartment. She quickly peeled the orange, making quick work of it with her elegant and very skillful fingers.

"Is this your attempt at making me eat a piece of fruit?" The magicat grinned at her, the scent of orange surrounding them.

"No." A pause. "Maybe." Another pause. "Okay fine." She raised a brow. "Why? Do you need motivation?"

Adora proceeded to tear off a slice of the orange, bringing the piece up to her mouth, holding it there in between her teeth, blue eyes dancing with mischief.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the magicat approach her. In a half a second, Catra was in front of her, pressing herself to her. Adora felt like her heart would burst with excitement. Even though it had not been the first time today, or the past couple hours, every time she felt her body touch hers, a candle lit up inside of her, like she had been waiting her whole life for something, or someone, to spark life into her, and finally, in the most unexpected way, she found that person. She could have sworn there was a name for this feeling, but she couldn't quite place it just yet.

She was brought back to the present at the feeling of Catra placing a hand on her chest, her mismatched eyes bore into hers, sparkling and alluring as ever as she leaned her head closer and closer.

And then...

The slice of fruit in her mouth was snatched, not by a mouth like she had been expecting, but by slim fingers.

Before Adora could protest, Catra plopped it into her mouth, chewing it slowly. Normally, the simple smell of orange peels would make her wrinkle her nose, so much so that it'd deter her from ever really trying it. Now, however, she bit into it thoughtfully, taking in the citrusy flavor. The texture was definitely interesting, with every flick of her tongue, a burst of sweet tartness filled her mouth as the little buds of flavor burst. And when she finally swallowed, there was a sticky texture in her mouth, the smell of oranges filling all her senses now.

Adora looked both pleased and not just at seeing Catra eat the piece of fruit. Though, she definitely looked sad about the fact that she hadn't taken it from her like she had wanted, she was more than happy to see her try something new, and liking it.

"Don't look so disappointed, princess," the tip of Catra's tail curled as she gazed up at her expression. "Just be glad I ate that damn piece of fruit. There will be plenty more of that later."

The thought of there being a next time instantly cheered Adora up.

After throwing away the orange peels once they finished it, and were out of their costumes, Adora pulled Catra closer for the millionth time that day. She couldn't ever imagine getting tired of feeling her in her arms. She fit perfectly in them, the top of her head being at the perfect height for Adora to rest her chin on top, Catra's face buried into her neck. Had it really just been a few days since they had confessed and kissed under the rain? Not to mention their first real encounter which felt like a lifetime ago. To think that there was a time when those blue, yellow eyes had looked at her with such coldness, such disdain that it'd made her freeze in place when they first landed on her when she'd first arrived at BMU. Never had those gem-like eyes ever been close enough to notice the colorful specks that made up each eye. And she was glad that she could finally take in all her features, where before, she couldn't ever really make them out from a distance when she'd spot her sitting alone in the bleachers while she exercised. And now, she could enjoy every inch of her, just as she suspected she always wanted to since their high school years.

Maybe, Adora thought, maybe this is it. This is the one thing that can be only mine. Not that Catra was a piece of property, but, being with her, in this way, felt too precious to share, and, despite Adora knowing Catra would rather claw her eyes out than let herself be protected, Adora felt the intense urge to shield her from...what? What exactly, she wasn't sure.

She shoved that thought away.

For now, she would cherish her, hoping that nothing would change, ignoring the sinking feeling she had at the pit of her stomach that told her otherwise.

"I'll join you for a shower," Adora kissed the top of the Catra's head. "Peace and quiet sounds perfect right about now."

"Finally," she scoffed, twirling the end of Adora's hair with her finger. "I've had enough of this day." Despite her sharp words, the magicat's purring didn't stop even as they laid in bed, tucked away in each other's arms. For all that their bodies were tired and weighing them down, they stayed up whispering to each other under the cloak of night, dreading when the time would finally come for them to face reality once more.