Work Text:
“Hey Adora.”
Adora’s eyes flickered open at the soft, almost reverent voice; at the tickle of warmth the words sent racing through her sleep heavy body. She yawned deeply and glanced up at Catra through bleary eyes, leaning over her with her cute short hair. It made her a little jealous, Catra didn’t have to worry about bedhead like she did at the moment.
“Five more minutes,” she mumbled as she made a show of stretching her arms, then without warning she wrapped an arm around Catra and rolled onto her. She pushed Catra back down onto the bed, resting her own head on Catra’s chest and snuggling against her neck.
“Wha- No fair, sneak attack!” Catra giggled in protest as she was subdued and lay her hands across Adora’s back, stroking fondly at her messy hair.
Giggled.
Catra.
And not a mocking or sarcastic giggle either, but one with genuine, happy mirth. Adora squeezed her arms even tighter around her love as she marveled at how far they’d come. Not all that long ago Catra’s “Hey Adora” would have filled her with dread, anger and sadness. Now it made her heart flutter in her chest and warmth fill her. This. This was what she’d always wanted, even if she’d been too blind to see it before. That had always been an issue for her, putting everything else above her own desires. She could see that clearly now. That and her habit of just looking at the bigger picture and not tending to the smaller, more personal connections she had with the people around her.
That was how she’d almost lost Catra forever. For so long she couldn’t understand her, couldn’t grasp why Catra couldn’t see why Adora did what she did. She’d only realized recently, when they’d finally embraced their love for one another, how alone and abandoned Catra must have felt when she’d left. She pressed her head more firmly against her girlfriend’s chest, breathed in her scent, felt the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. She didn’t regret the choices she’d made, but she did wish she’d handled some things a little better.
She was so happy they had each other now. That they could be together again, closer than ever before. Catra grounded Adora, helped her see that she was allowed to think about what she wanted for herself too. And Adora liked to think she was a good influence on Catra in the same way, that she helped her to be more open and to connect with others more readily. To care about things outside her immediate circle.
“Alright little miss hero, it’s been five minutes. Are we going to get breakfast or are you gonna use me as a snuggle buddy all morning?” Catra asked. Adora could feel Catra’s voice vibrating through her chest and could hear the teasing fondness in her tone.
She’d earned a little extra snuggle time hadn’t she?
“Snuggles sound better than breakfast,” she mumbled into the fine fur on Catra’s collarbone.
Then her stomach rumbled.
Loudly.
Catra immediately burst into laughter and Adora sat up abruptly, her hands going to her growling belly. “I think your gut disagrees,” Catra teased through her mirth, reaching up to wipe at her eyes.
“Traitor,” Adora mumbled sourly down at her midsection as she reluctantly rolled off her girlfriend to sit on the side of their shared bed in Brightmoon. “Do my hair for me?” she asked hopefully, holding out a brush to her girlfriend. Not wanting to tackle the mess herself and knowing that despite all appearances, Catra would be gentle.
“What? Am I your lady in waiting now your highness?” Catra replied, her voice absolutely dripping with snark. But all the same she took the brush, sat on the bed behind her partner, and began to carefully untangle Adora’s golden strands. Adora could hear the subtle purr escaping Catra’s chest as she worked. It made her smile all the more.
“Well I mean it is sort of your fault it’s such a mess, you got pretty handsy with my hair last night. Although I guess I should take that as a sign I was doing a good job—”
“Adora!” Catra cried out, dropping the brush and nearly shoving Adora straight off the bed. Adora laughed with a snort and slid down further, leaning back against Catra’s midsection and looking up at her face. Into her breathtaking blue and yellow eyes.
“Are you blushing?” she teased, grinning up at a flustered Catra. Which was a rare sight to behold.
“Do you want your hair brushed or not?”
“I do, but first how about a good morning kiss?”
Catra grumbled and crossed her arms, still blushing, her tail lashing back and forth behind her. Adora just kept smiling up at her with teasingly puckered lips until finally her girlfriend leaned over and they shared a quick peck.
“And you weren’t that good,” Catra mumbled as Adora sat up and she returned to taming her hair.
Adora laughed again, her shoulders shaking slightly and her body flushing with more than the warmth of the early morning sun. Catra gave a little huff and tugged her hair, but not enough to really hurt. She was smiling too.
Yes, this was all Adora had ever wanted.
And it was wonderful.