Work Text:
Adora felt something heavy and proud bubble up in her chest as she looked around the ballroom at Bright Moon. Hundreds of princesses, princes, and non-binary royals danced, and chatted, and laughed in the room below. It was the first Princess Prom since the Horde was defeated a few years ago, and even though this was only technically the second Princess Prom Adora had attended, she knew it felt a lot lighter, and freer, and happier than the last one did.
Despite the happy atmosphere, however, Adora couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. Or rather, someone was missing.
There had been a handful of deaths since the beginning of the war, and while Adora was hesitant to say they’d been lucky…they’d been pretty lucky. Even if it felt like her heart was being crushed by their absences, Adora knew their loss of life could have been much, much higher.
“Hey Adora!” Glimmer appeared, a wall of glitter dissipating into the air as she approached. Adora’s heart clenched at the phrasing.
“Hey Glimmer,” Adora smiled. “Enjoying the party?”
Glimmer groaned, “Yeah, sure, if you count being sucked up to by almost a thousand royals fun.”
Adora laughed, “No wonder Frosta hated us during the last one.”
Glimmer rolled her eyes, “No wonder.” Glimmer shook her head lightly, “I’m surprised we didn’t get kicked out earlier, because I swear, if one more person says they just absolutely love my hair and my castle and my dress I’m going to punch a wall.”
Adora laughed, “Glimmer, I absolutely love your hair—”
Glimmer screamed playfully and pushed Adora, “You suck! You’re the worst! I hate you!”
Adora laughed and playfully deflected a few of Glimmers attacks. “Mercy, mercy,” Adora finally said after Glimmer managed to hit a few too many of Adora’s ticklish spots.
“You’re lucky you’re my best friend,” Glimmer laughed as she back off, “Otherwise I would have no choice but to finish you.”
Adora rolled her eyes, “I’m quaking in my boots.” The two girls laughed together, leaning on the balcony railing as they did. Adora passed her eyes over the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of wild brown hair and an adorable tail before she could stop herself.
Even five years after Catra’s disappearance and presumed death, Adora still couldn’t stop herself from looking for her.
Glimmer placed a hand on Adora’s arm, a sad smile on her face. “You know there’s still a chance—”
Adora shook her head and cut her off, “She’d dead, Glimmer.” Adora sent Glimmer a shaky smile, “I just forget sometimes.”
Glimmer’s smile wilted a bit more, “Adora—”
“No, Glimmer,” Adora pulled out of Glimmer’s hold, but not meanly. “She’s gone. She’s been gone. I can’t keep letting myself hope only to get let down, time and time again.”
Glimmer sighed and opened her arms. Adora walked into them and allowed herself to just be hugged. “I know, Adora,” Glimmer sighed into Adora’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”
Adora didn’t say anything, she just pulled Glimmer in tighter. After a few beats, Adora pulled away, holding Glimmer by her shoulders. “Now, what do you say we go find Bow and have a good old fashioned Best Friend Squad dance party?”
Glimmer beamed, “I love that! Meet you on the dance floor, I have to make the announcement anyway.” Adora nodded and then Glimmer was disappearing in a poof of glitter.
Adora smiled and turned back over the balcony to look for Bow.
Adora’s heart stopped in her chest when instead she locked eyes with Catra.
Catra who just walked into the Bright Moon castle.
Catra who had been presumed dead for the last five years.
Her hair had been cut short, hanging just under her chin. The Horde-issued headband she used to wear was gone, replaced instead with adorable bangs that framed her face perfectly. One of her ears had been pierced, her face was somehow more angular, and her eyes were sharper, but she was still the most beautiful thing Adora had ever seen in her life.
“Catra,” Adora breathed, because that’s all she could do. Adora refused to blink, terrified that if she did, Catra would disappear again—just a figment of Adora’s imagination. “Catra,” Adora said again, he voice louder this time as she watched her move across the ballroom next to Scorpia and—and Entrapta?
It was almost like it was in slow-motion. People recognized the trio as they moved through the crowd, parting for them like they were some sort of etherial beings. Adora wanted to look for Perfuma—who had been so devastated by Entrapta’s death—but couldn’t tear her eyes away from Catra.
Adora wanted nothing more than to run to Catra’s side, to gather her in her arms and kiss her until she couldn’t kiss anymore. Adora wanted to touch her, to make sure she was real, to run her fingers through Catra’s hair feel the way Catra's tangles caught them.
Adora wanted to wrap Catra up and never let her go again.
But her feet were glued to the ground, and her muscles were locked, and Adora had never frozen like this before. Even in the face of every horror and monstrosity she faced while battling the Horde, she had never frozen like this.
It seemed, even years after they last saw each other, Catra was still the exception.
“Adora!” Bow called, shaking Adora out of her trance. “Adora!” Bow’s voice was frantic and Adora reluctantly looked away from Catra.
Adora must have had a shellshocked look on her face—hell, she felt shellshocked. She felt hollow, like all of her insides had been scooped out of her, like her feeble supports had been kicked out from under her. Bow gathered Adora into his arms, “You saw her then?”
“Yeah,” Adora breathed, her arms coming up numbly around Bow’s back. “She’s real?” Her voice shook, terrified that Bow was going to say no. “She’s here?”
“Yeah,” he muttered into her hair, and Adora thought she was going to collapse. She probably would have if it weren’t for Bow’s arms around her. “Yeah, she’s really here.”
Adora sobbed, “I need—“ she choked on her own rising emotions, her body finally rebooting. “I need to see her.”
She pulled out of Bow’s embrace and tripped her way down to the ground floor. Adora was grateful that she’d decided to go with sandals again this time around and not heels like she had at Glimmer’s coronation. Adora messily worked her way through the crowd, getting to the front just in time to see the trio bow (as is Princess Prom custom) to a stunned Glimmer at the front of the ballroom.
Adora stumbled out of the crowd and up the stairs of the dias. She was distantly reminded of the first Princess Prom, and how Adora had stumbled up next to Catra then too. This time however, she turned to Catra, breathless, and mumbled her name in reverence instead of disdain.
Adora brought her hand up to touch, but hesitated, unsure if that was something that was allowed after all the time and pain between them
Catra smiled crookedly and Adora thought she was going to die, “Hey Adora.”
And that was it.
That was all it took before Adora let out a sob and pulled Catra into a bruising hug.
— . —
“So, we laid low in Scorpia’s kingdom,” Catra explained as they walked down the hallways at Bright Moon. Adora found it hard to look away from the other girl. She had changed so much in the past five years: her hair was shorter, and he seemed more mellow, somehow, and her ear was pierced.
“We knew it would be too hard to join the Rebellion, and being part of the Horde was no longer an option. I still wanted to fight, and Entrapta wanted to keep building things, and we all wanted to help, so we started doing undercover missions independently,” Catra went on.
Adora pursed her lips, “Why did you stay away for so long? I thought you were dead.”
Catra sighed and scratched the back of her head. “At first it was to keep the Horde off of us,” she cut her eyes toward Adora, “And I was angry still so I didn’t really want to see you.” Catra sighed and kicked an imaginary rock, “But the anger eventually went away and the war ended and…” Catra shrugged. “I didn’t really know what to say.”
“I’m sorry,” Adora said, because she didn’t know what else to say.
Catra sent Adora a fond smile because of course Catra knew. “You don’t have to be sorry. I know you’re a dumbass.”
“I’m sorry?” Adora said again.
Catra laughed and it sounded like music, “It’s okay. It’s part of your charm.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Adora said. It was supposed to be grumbled, but Adora was just so glad to see Catra alive and well that she couldn’t bring herself to be grumpy. Catra bumped her shoulder into Adora’s and they walked in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few beats.
“Have you figured out what to say?” Adora finally asked.
Catra let out a little chuckle, “Not really,” she admitted. “But Scorpia thought it would be a good idea if we came,” Catra paused and shoved her hands into the pockets of her suit. “Scorpia had a couple of friends from before that she wanted to see, and Entrapta wanted to see how different things would be at a celebration post-Horde.”
“And what about you?” Adora asked.
Catra pursed her lips, “I guess…” she glanced at Adora, “I guess I wanted to see you.”
Adora’s heart fluttered, “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Catra breathed, and it sounded like she’d been holding that in for a while. “I wanted to see you. I really wanted to see you.”
Adora stopped them from walking, turning Catra to face her. “Catra, I—” her voice cracked, “Catra, I missed you everyday. When news reached Bright Moon that you’d gone missing, I—” Adora swallowed. “It was the worst day of my life.”
Catra’s eyes finally met Adora’s and Adora hadn’t realized how much she needed that until just this second. Catra’s mis-matched eyes glittered under the shine of tears, the light from the crystal chandeliers bathing her in wonderful golden light.
“Adora,” Catra sighed, “I couldn’t—I didn’t—” her voice stuttered and she closed her eyes, a single tear falling. Adora wiped it away and Catra’s eyes fluttered open. “I was so angry, Adora. I didn’t want to say something I’d regret, and hiding from you was so much easier than facing you.”
Adora shook her head, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Catra.”
“I do,” Catra said, “I do. Scorpia says that I have to verbalize my feelings. I can’t just hold it in anymore.” Catra levelled Adora with a stare, “I need to tell you this.”
Adora nodded after a few beats. “Okay,” she nodded again, “Okay, I’m listening.”
Catra sighed and nodded again. “I missed you, Adora. I missed you every day, but when you left you broke my heart. And then we were literal enemies for years.” She looked away briefly. “When we were with the Horde, I always felt like I was never enough. Never enough for you, never enough for Shadow Weaver, never enough for the team. And when you leaved you proved me right.
“Well, no, you proved Shadow Weaver right, because she was the only one who thought I wasn’t enough. And I think that was the worst part. Because as long as you were there, I was enough for you.” Catra sighed. “That’s why I never joined you back then.”
“I—” Adora started, then stopped. “I never meant for you to feel like that.” Then Adora laughed, “But I was an idiot. I honestly never knew what the Horde was doing, and I never realized how back Shadow Weaver was to you. I never knew there was anything better beyond they Fright Zone.” Adora wiped a tear off of her own cheek. “And I’m so sorry I didn’t get you out of there sooner.”
“It’s—” Catra cut herself off, “I forgive you.”
Adora smiled and threaded her fingers through Catra’s.
“I have to say, your entrance was pretty dramatic,” Adora teased.
Catra rolled her eyes, “Did you expect anything less?”
“I shouldn’t have,” Adora laughed. They stared at each other for a few beats, Adora just drinking in the sight of Catra before her. “You look amazing. I love the piercing.”
Catra smirked and her ear twitched, “It was Scorpia’s idea.” She brought her other hand up to fiddle with the earring. “You look pretty nice, too. You’ve got the whole princess thing down pat by now, huh?”
Adora laughed a little, a little pang going through her at the mention of Scorpia. “Yeah, I guess I do,” Adora smoothed one of her hands down the front of her dress. Adora cleared her throat and licked her lips, “Are you and Scorpia together?”
Catra sent Adora an extremely confused look, “What?”
Adora ducked her head and looked away as she felt her face grow warm. “Are you two—” she cleared her throat, “You know, together? Like—dating.”
“What?” Catra said again, “Dating? No!” Catra blushed and rubbed her palms on her pants. “We’re—she’s like my sister, oh my god.”
Adora sighed, a feeling of relief rushing through her so intense Adora thought she might need to sit down. “Oh, cool, yeah, sorry.”
“Why would you even ask that?” The fur on Catra’s tail was standing up, and Adora really missed that.
Adora chuckled, “I just—you were talking a lot about her, and I just thought maybe you two were—”
“Well we’re not so stop talking about it, oh my god,” Catra sounded mortified and it was kind of funny. Adora hid her giggles behind her hand.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Catra hissed.
“You’re just—” Adora gestured at Catra, “I missed you. I missed this.”
Catra blushed more, her ears standing straight up. “Yeah, well—” Catra twitched her ears down, “I missed this, too.”
They stared at each other for a few beats before Adora said, “I love you.” The words slipped out, but they felt right. Adora would never take them back, even if Catra didn’t want them.
Catra’s shoulders relaxed, and a slow smile curled over her face. “I love you, too.”
And when they kissed, it felt like going home.