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“Why do I have to be the one to do this again?” Catra asks skeptically.
“Because,” Bow explains patiently from where he’s seated on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. “Adora hates needles, and Glimmer doesn’t like to feel like she’s hurting me.”
“Still don’t get that,” Catra mutters. “Adora and I hurt each other all the time and we don’t mind.”
“You two are either very kinky or very disturbed, and either way I am going to pretend you didn’t say that-"
“Kinky!” Adora volunteers from across the room where she’s reading on the bed, waving without looking up from her book. “We’re done with the disturbed hurting now.”
“Well, as glad as I am to hear that, now I am the one who is disturbed, so could you please-"
With a poof, Glimmer returns from her trip to the seamstress’s closet. “Okay, I think this should be the right size. And I brought a candle to sterilize it too.” She drops the items on the table next to Catra. “Are you sure you want to do this, Bow? You can still choose to wear it as a pendant, you know it doesn’t matter to me whether we match.”
“I’m sure,” Bow replies calmly.
Catra jumps in: “And you definitely want me to do this?” She is not convinced that this is a good idea.
“Definitely. Stop worrying, you'll do fine.”
Shaking her head in bewilderment, Catra heads to the bath to clean her hands. If this is going to happen, might as well get it over with. She doesn’t quite get the big deal. Most Etherians carry a token – something that they wear on their person for their whole lives, imbuing it with love and all their lived experiences in anticipation of one day gifting it to their spouse. But Catra’s never worn anything like that, not unless Horde armor counts. Heh. Worst engagement gift ever.
When Catra returns, Glimmer has worked herself into a slight frenzy. “It’s just that I haven’t actually seen this done before – well, I guess when my mom pierced my ears, but of course I was just a baby, so I don’t really remember-"
Catra doesn’t bother interrupting, just lights the candle and catches Bow’s eye as she holds the needle to the flame. Which ear? She mouths over Glimmer’s rant. After a quick glance up at Glimmer, Bow looks back and mouths, left. Catra casually, stealthily works her way over to his side.
“And I know Catra hasn’t done this before – no offense, Catra, but it’s true – and-"
“Sparkles!” Catra has run out of patience. “This is never going to happen if you don’t quit hovering. Go get some salt water or spirits or something from the kitchens to clean the piercing after.”
“Right!” Seeming glad to have a task, Glimmer disappears in a purple puff.
Catra faces Bow. “Okay, let’s get this done before she gets back. Do you have the earring?” Bow opens his palm to show Catra the gem. “Perfect. We probably need to clean that too, hand it over.” She holds the wire over the flame for a few moments and then places the earring on the table. Rustling behind her indicates that Adora has looked up from her book and is taking an interest, but Catra is all focus now. “Okay, in and out, this should be quick and easy. Ready?” She lines up her shot, Bow’s left ear held in place with one hand and needle poised in the other. Bow takes a deep breath and nods, and Catra pushes the needle through the lobe of his ear. No sweat.
Then, several things happen in quick succession:
- Catra hears a soft thump behind her.
- Bow, wide-eyed, jerks his head around to see a pale Adora at a dead faint on the floor.
- Catra, intent on keeping her hands steady, does not move with Bow, and Bow’s earlobe very abruptly gets a modification much larger than originally planned.
- Glimmer returns at the worst possible moment to find Adora on the floor, Bow yelping in pain, and Catra’s hands covered in blood.
- Glimmer shrieks and drops the bowl of what smells like spirits in shock, rushing to Bow’s side.
- On her way, Glimmer knocks against the table, where the candle is still lit.
- The candle falls to the floor, up against the edge of the seeping puddle of alcohol.
- The puddle catches flame.
- The room devolves to pure chaos.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” yells Catra. Glimmer is trying to pull Bow’s hand off his ear and look at the damage but Bow is groaning in pain and has his hand firmly clapped over the bleeding. The flaming puddle is spreading slowly to where Bow and Glimmer sit in one direction and to where Adora lies prone in the other. “You two!” she hollers as she moves to drag Adora out of the way. “Deal with fire first, bleeding second!”
Thankfully, Bow and Glimmer have years of experience thinking fast in a crisis. Once they notice the fire, they move as a unit: Bow grabs a thick quilt off the bed and throws it over the conflagration; Glimmer teleports over to the room’s water feature and, with a shove, redirects the spray in a high arc, where it splashes down into the room and extinguishes the remaining flames with a hiss.
Silence, except for the continuing patter of water raining down on the room and their combined heavy breathing. Catra is dripping; her fur is all on end and she is certain she looks a fright. She hates getting wet. She makes herself take a deep breath instead of scream like she wants to. “Glimmer, could you turn that off now?”
Glimmer attempts to shove the fountain back, to no avail. “Uh,” Glimmer says sheepishly. “I think I pushed it too hard and now it’s stuck.”
Deep breaths, in through her nose. “Right.” ...Out through her mouth.
In her lap, Adora stirs. She blinks dazedly up at Catra. “Is it done? Is the engagement official now?” She sits up slightly and frowns, confused. “Why am I wet? Is it raining in here?”
Catra wants to laugh and also bury her face in her hands. “You fainted. Why did you watch when you know you’re afraid of needles?!”
Adora looks a little pale again at the mention of needles. “I didn’t mean to look! My eyes just kind of follow you sometimes.”
Catra’s heart skips a little at that, but all she says is, “Gross, you sap. You made me tear Bow’s earlobe. Can you, ya know, She-Ra him?” She wiggles her fingers to indicate She-Ra’s healing magic.
“Oh no! Of course, help me up.” Catra stands and pulls Adora up. Upon seeing Bow and the blood covering the left shoulder of his shirt, however, Adora looks positively green. “Oh no. Maybe not.” She claps a hand over her mouth and closes her eyes.
Catra closes hers as well. They're still getting rained on. She knew this was a bad idea from the start –
She feels a hand on her shoulder and opens her eyes. Glimmer is in front of them. She pats Catra's arm and gently extracts Adora from her grip. “Come on then Adora, I’m taking you and Bow to the infirmary to see the healer. Catra, you should go get changed and find us when you’re dry.” Glimmer looks up at Catra, waiting for her nod. When she gets it, she teleports herself and Adora over to Bow, takes his hand, and the three of them disappear.
Sparkles is pretty all right after all. With a sigh, Catra makes her way to her room for fresh clothes and a towel. She should probably let someone know about the water, too. Ugh.
It’s a few days before they try again. Catra cannot believe that they still want her to do this. “You could have had the healer do it – you were right there!”
“Yeah,” Glimmer agrees, shrugging.
Bow shrugs too, smiling. “This is special. And I want someone special to us to do the job.”
For some cursed reason, this makes Catra tear up. “Okay, well, Adora’s not allowed to be in the room this time,” she jokes, a little thickly. “And with that scar, I think we’re going to have to do your right ear instead, Bow.”
In the end, Adora is allowed to be in the room as long as she promises to cover her eyes, and Glimmer switches her remaining earring to her left ear so that Bow can wear his on the right because Bow wants to match but not be matchy-matchy, thank you very much. This time, it goes off without a hitch – Bow takes a deep breath, the needle pushes out and through, and Catra gently guides Bow’s new accessory into its forever spot.
Bow and Glimmer are looking at each other with shining eyes, and Catra needs to extract herself before they start sucking face. “I now pronounce you, uh, two people who will be married. Congratulations. Bye.” She rushes off to collect Adora and escape. “C’mon,” she hisses, tugging Adora towards the door, “let’s get out of here before this gets grosser than last time.”
“Grosser than last time? You’re talking about last time with the blood and the alcohol and the inch of standing water on the floor and me almost puking? That last time?” Adora laughs.
Catra can’t help but laugh with her as they tumble out of the room. “Yes! That last time that was at least 90 percent your fault!”
“It was not! I can’t help it if I can’t keep my eyes off you, even when you’ve got a needle in your hand.” Adora pulls her in for a long kiss, and Catra melts into her arms.
Eventually they pull apart and stand for a moment, foreheads pressed together, just breathing each other in. Some days Catra still can’t believe that this is her life now - domestic moments and all.
“Ugh." Catra wrinkles her nose. "Do you think you and I will ever want to do that? Get married, I mean.” Sticking out her tongue doesn't quite cover for the hesitant hope she's sure Adora can read in her question, but it makes Catra feel better anyway. She had honestly never considered marriage before. Without a token, she isn’t even sure how she could propose.
Adora grins, and pulls back to take Catra’s hand as they continue down the corridor. She brushes the fingers of her free hand over the golden wing pin on her belt, a faraway smile on her face. “I think… the future is full of surprises,” Adora says.