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She was exhausted.
The war was finally over. Horde Prime was defeated, She-Ra had brought peace to Etheria, the planet restored, and soon magic would be brought back to the rest of the galaxy. But for now, Adora was absolutely exhausted.
Her legs felt heavy as she trudged down the hallway inside Bright Moon, like she had many times before. After everything, it felt good to be able to return to where she felt at home. She had said goodnight to Bow and Glimmer, as she always used to. Her room was just around the corner. The castle was quiet, safe for her own steps, and those of her companion.
That was something that was decidedly different from last time she walked these halls.
Catra.
She glanced at the other girl, whose ears perked up just the tiniest bit at the attention. Their eyes met, a small smile shared between the two before her partner’s gaze fell upon the door they were approaching. Adora had watched her take in her surroundings the whole time they were at Bright Moon. She looked almost cautious, like she was waiting for something to take her out of the calm reality they had found themselves in, finally. It was a feeling the blonde recognised. It was hard to believe.
She took her hand, slotting her fingers between Catra’s.
Mismatched eyes were drawn back to her as she squeezed gently. She felt her cheeks warm, mirroring the other’s blush. So cute. Adora let herself smile, wide, unabashedly. What did it matter if she probably looked like a doofus? It was over. She was home. Catra was home.
It took her a few seconds to realise she had stopped walking, her feet having brought her to a familiar door. A door Catra just threw a glance at before raising an eyebrow at her, a grin pulling at her lips.
“You alright there?” Her tone was teasing, but a little different than usual. Sweet.
“Yeah. More than alright.” The response earned her a squeeze on the hand and a smile she would give anything for. It was really hard to focus. The exhaustion didn’t really help either. Right. Exhaustion.
With that thought, Adora finally moved forward, tugging Catra along with her into her room.
At first, the other girl just looked around, familiarising herself with the new environment. Then Adora caught her watching her as she started her bedtime routine. As the blonde brushed her teeth, Catra sidled up beside her, seeming to hesitate for a moment.
“Oh—howd on!” Adora spoke around her toothbrush, drawing a giggle and a cocked eyebrow from her companion as she searched for one the other could use. As it was handed to her, Catra muttered a thank you, joining the blonde in her activity quickly afterwards.
It was different and yet familiar. In the horde they had shared a room, but that had hardly felt like this felt. This was much more private. Just the two of them. Everything felt more honest. It was more honest, now that they had spoken their truths. Adora thought it was all the better for it.
The familiarity carried them as they joked with each other, like in old times, but the honesty shining through. The teasing was just a little softer, the smiles less guarded, the contact more deliberate, less careful.
With a smile firmly on her lips, Adora finally crawled under the covers, sighing at the comfort it brought. Finally, rest. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in so long. There had been too much to worry about. But that was different now.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by the feeling of the mattress dipping, though not where she had expected.
“Catra?” Adora called as she sat up, the other girl looking back at her from the foot of the bed, surprised. She was already halfway curled up, like she always would be back when they shared a bed in the horde. No, that’s not—
It occurred to Adora that she had expected Catra closer. That she wanted her closer.
“Come here.” She lifted the covers, an invitation to the hesitant girl at the foot of her bed. For a second, she stayed frozen. Then… That smile.
There was something tentative about the way Catra crawled up the bed to meet her. The difference between this and their old routine evident, but welcomed.
And then, they were side by side. She could feel the warmth emanating from the body next to hers. A thought popped into her head. But it was her turn to hesitate. This time, Catra reached out. She scooted closer, her arms moving to wrap around her waist, slowly, as if asking if this was okay. Of course it was. It was more than okay. In fact, she wanted more of it.
The blonde reached out in return, pulling her girlfriend against her, into an embrace. Catra felt soft, warm, right. She couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips, especially not when she felt the rumble of the other girl’s purrs against her chest. The sound calming the nerves that came with all these new things they were allowing themselves. She loved that sound. Because Catra was happy. And so was she.
And tired. Really tired. And comfortable…
Adora jumped a little, feeling her girlfriend’s grasp on her tighten as the mattress dipped again. A mechanic meow sounding from the foot of the bed as they joined the couple, curling up in Catra’s old spot.
“Hey, Melog.” Catra murmured as Adora let herself laugh, the large feline shape sharing a look with its owner before laying their head down.
Comfortable. Warm. Right.
With the girl she loved in her arms, their legs tangled, Adora finally felt safe. Safe and comfortable. The purring had returned after the momentary scare and it was lulling her tired body to sleep. She felt warm. Happy.
“Goodnight, Catra.”
“Goodnight, Adora.”
It was the best sleep Adora ever had.