Chapter Text
It’s not like they had...ever been on a date before. With themselves, or with anyone else. Adora felt her face get warm when Catra’s pace quickened a little ahead of her. Her hair had been gently tousled, and though it wasn’t anywhere close to the bedhead Adora was used to, the ways it defied gravity and curled and twisted up into little cowlicks and adornments for her ears was surprisingly refreshing.
Adora tightened her ponytail. The open air in the valley mixed the scent of the wildflowers and the smell of the fresh dew on the grass together and made her lungs feel clean with each breath. Closing her eyes, Adora let herself break into a wide smile while Catra was still up ahead. She didn’t mind being teased for being so in...well, for being so happy, but she still found herself a little embarrassed for just how happy she was.
She quickened her pace and in a few moments she was at Catra’s side. She quietly took her hand in her own, and pursed her lips together when Catra’s ears perked up in surprise. Catra interlocked their fingers and Adora felt a swell of reassurance.
Had she always felt this giddy around her? In the days leading up to Prime’s demise, she couldn’t help but notice when Catra wasn’t touching her; her shoulder, her hand, her leg, her face. Adora had latched onto Catra just as much. But that was all subconscious; it was natural, unspoken. With the silence finally shattered, every touch felt charged with twenty times more affection. Every move felt purposeful.
The two stopped. Just a little under a month ago, the two of them had taken a moment to breathe in that the Horde, that Prime, the war...was over. The valley stayed just as bright; the magic danced and skipped and hopped around, glowing and taking itself in.
Adora noticed Catra gazing at her, and noticed that she too couldn’t hide a smile. The two laughed, and Catra sat down. Adora, having not let go of Catra’s hand, sat beside her. Her arm brushed up against Catra’s, and they leaned into each other.
The sun was so warm on her back, but never uncomfortable: cozy. Adora leaned her head on Catra, her breath slowing. She felt Catra stiffen slightly, and then flow like water from hesitation to steadiness as she moved her arms from Adora’s and wrapped one around her shoulder, pulling her in closer. In a fluid motion, Adora slipped her arms around Catra and curled into her, closing her eyes. She felt Catra kiss the top of her head, and she was out.
~
Each time Catra touched her it was like the failsafe was back inside of her; her chest suddenly feeling very full, a shortness of breath that she needed to consciously breathe through. But never anything painful. To the contrary, it felt like everything Adora felt, experienced...it was all radiating from the center and filling her with a happy, warm energy.
Touch had been the only thing that could comfort either of them in the evening. When Adora had flashbacks of Angella, or the portal, or the lingering memory of the gash Prime had given her; or when Catra would jolt awake from the phantom voices of the hive ringing around her head or jabbing reminisions of tasing Entrapta, grabbing Lonnie, Hordak attacking her; the only thing that could steady either of them was holding one or the other. It turned out Catra had missed Adora at nightfall as well, and while it took a little getting used to reestablishing sleeping together, it was cathartic, comforting.
Adora’s eyes flickered slightly and she gazed up to Catra, whose hand had been gently stroking the back of her head.
“You’re lucky your hair is so thin,” she mused, nudging the knuckle of her finger against Adora’s ponytail holder. “Doesn’t it hurt to have your hair up all the time?”
Adora smiled. “It’s thicker when it’s She-Ra, and longer too.”
She let go of Catra and stretched back, yawning. “Sorry,” she said, mid-yawn.
Last night hadn’t been good for either of them. They both awoke replaying memories of Shadow Weaver in their heads, and after some hissed and tense disagreements, lay awake together, exhausted but unable to shut their eyes. It had been Catra to dose off first, and Adora wasn’t able to catch up to her on sleep.
Catra balled her fist and pressed it against Adora’s shoulder. “Don’t be,” she said. “Unless you didn’t mean to drool on me.”
“I don’t drool,” Adora protested, quickly touching the side of her mouth.
Catra laughed. “Then how come I end up with damp fur after I wake up?”
“I don’t know,” Adora said. “Maybe because you’re so hot that you’re always sweating-”
Catra’s brow furrowed, then let it pass, dropping her eyelids slightly. “You think I’m hot?”
Adora started to scoff but her voice caught. Catra leaned into her, lifting her hand next to Adora’s face. She kept it there for a moment, and Adora pressed against it.
When Catra pressed her lips to hers, Adora closed her eyes from sheer happiness. She kissed back softly, feeling her heart radiate and glow to her fingertips. Catra’s other arm traced over Adora, reaching over and clutching her jacket gently.
Adora felt herself smile in the kiss, and cringed slightly. She expected Catra to break off and laugh, but instead she felt Catra’s hand move from her face and tighten onto her jacket.
Adora opened her eyes curiously, and saw she had gained a few feet since she last had them open...and that Catra was clinging to her for fear of falling.
“Why did you transform?” Catra asked loudly as Adora exclaimed in shock.
"I- I didn’t!” she said. “Or, at least, I didn’t mean to…”
“What do you mean, you didn’t mean to? I thought you could control when you transformed!”
“Of course I can,” Adora said, frustrated. “But…” she trailed off, suddenly sheepish.
“But what?” Catra asked, but then Adora saw her eyes widen slightly. A smirk grew on her face.
“Catra-”
“Did me kissing you transform you to She-Ra?”
Adora felt her face heat up. “No!” she insisted, then paused. “Well, I mean maybe.” she said quietly.
Catra laughed, and it brought a smile back to Adora’s face. She glanced down and saw Catra had...quite a few feet before reaching the ground.
Her eyebrows lowered and she smiled at Catra, whose grip had only gotten tighter the more she teased Adora.
She looked at her smugly, and then quickly moved her arms out from where they had instinctually held her girlfriend.
“Agh!” Catra exclaimed mid-laugh, and scrambled to press her legs against Adora. “What are you doing?”
“I thought cats landed on their feet,” Adora teased.
Catra scowled at her. Then her smirk returned.
Before Adora had time to react, Catra straddled her legs around Adora’s waist and let her hands meet each other, embracing Adora more closely than the two had ever been in the daytime.
Adora’s face flushed as Catra pressed her forehead against her. Then Adora playfully pressed back. Catra kissed her nose. Adora kissed her lips. The two kept stealing kisses from another as the afternoon sun reached its peak and the flowers shook whimsically around them.