Work Text:
Catra awoke in a comfortable haze, soft light flickering through the curtains, and a weight over her chest. Something in her grew warm as she turned to see Adora, mouth slightly open, and body rising and falling with her breathing. Her arm was the weight against Catra’s chest, a position so familiar and protective that it made Catra melt all over again.
A smile tugging at her lips, she visually traced the curve of Adora’s face. Her cheekbones, her eyes, her distractingly pink parted lips…
Murmuring sleepily, Adora’s expression shifted, her eyebrows drawing in. The small motion made Catra’s heart pang with the simple beauty of the girl in front of her.
Adora turned more towards Catra, drawing her arm around her even tighter, as if shielding her from everything. She felt broken in the best way as should thought of how, even after all that had happened, Adora was still protecting her.
Leaning forward, Catra pressed a kiss to Adora’s tense brow, thinking teasingly about how she never rested, even while sleeping.
At best, Catra was expecting a fairytale wake up, where Adora would arise and pepper her lovingly with kisses as a response.
At worst, she was expecting no response. Which wasn’t bad at all, seeing as she’d get more time to admire her girlfriend.
What Catra was not expecting, was to be suddenly hit with a waving arm.
“Argh!” Catra yelped in reproach at the sudden disruption of her peace. Her hand flew to cover her eye as she instinctively jerked backwards. Adora leapt out of bed in an instant. Eyes not even open, she reached under her pillow, pulling out and waving a knife around haphazardly before Catra’s sleepy mind even registered what was happening.
“Catra?!” Adora called out, worry and desperation lacing her tone. “Are you okay?!” Eyes finally open, they landed on Catra, sprawled amongst the sheets with hand still covering her eye. There was a quick widening of the eyes, when she threateningly held up the knife with even more conviction as she scanned the room. “Who did that to you?” She demanded, posed to protect from an invader.
Catra’s fluffed tail flattened as she groaned and fell back into the pillows. “You did.”
There was a beat as Adora registered that they weren’t in any danger before she dropped her arms, sheepish. “Oh.”
Moving her hand out of her eye, Catra peered over and saw her standing there, looking lost for another moment before she took pity.
“Well what are you standing around for?” She flopped her arm in the general direction of where Adora had been beautifully and peacefully sleeping, without any knives or disruption, moments ago.
Tentatively, Adora climbed back in. Facing Catra, she lifted a hand to touch her eye, which was perfectly unharmed.
“Are you okay?” She asked, tone barely above a whisper. Catra gave her a teasing half smile. “I’m fine, dummy. Just very tired.” She gave a little yawn that sounded suspiciously like a mewl. Adora’s face softened at the noise, and her eyes had taken on that incredibly gushy look that both made Catra’s stomach flutter and that she couldn’t stand.
“Stop looking at me like that!” She whined, but it came out halfhearted. Adora poked her side, and Catra squealed, wriggling backwards with a laughing “no!”
Adora sombered, propping her chin up on her palm. “What made me jump out of bed anyways?” She asked. Catra thought of the kiss and flushed, ducking her head.
Catra could practically hear the smile in Adora’s voice when she repeated her name as a question.
“Well, I maybe kind of, erm, kissedyouwhenyouweresleeping?” Catra buried her head in her pillow, burning up, but was immediately attacked by Adora’s teasing and bright voice.
“Aww you DO like me.” She cried, tickling Catra’s side again. Catra shrieked, and rolled away. Adora rolled with her, muffling her with a pillow as she attacked her sides again. “That must be so embarrassing for you!”
Catra slid out from under the pillow, popping up to jump on top of Adora. There was a muffled oomph beneath her, before two strong arms took a hold on her hips and flipped her over. Suddenly Catra was underneath again, and Adora pinned her hands to the pillows, one knee on her chest, and a triumphant grin on her face.
There was something special and mind bumbling about being pinned down by a beautiful girl. If there was a reason that Catra had stayed on the opposite side of the Rebellion for that long, this was it.
Catra groaned, giving her a defeated-but-mad-about-it look. “How is anyone possibly be this alert in the morning?!” She declared, cursing Adora’s surreal swiftness. Seriously. It was truly a wonder that Catra’s eyes were even open right now, let alone having any sort of agility.
Adora’s grin broadened, and Catra’s heart beat a little faster. The blonde lowered her face so it was closer to Catra’s, the same triumphant look in her eye, and behind it was something sweeter.
“Can I get a victory kiss?” She asked, practically preening. Catra sighed, but there was no venom behind it. A slight smile mischievously came to her lips once more, she reached up to peck Adora’s cheek.
“Happy?” She asked, trying to judge if she could bring her legs up to kick Adora off or if the blankets were in the way.
“Hmm… not really.” Adora’s quirked smile matched her own, before immediately starting to pepper her with kisses all over her face and neck. Catra vocalized her reproach, trying not to think about how somehow, this is exactly what she’d wished would happen earlier.
Soon she was shrieking again as Adora tickled her side once more, and before long they had become a giggling and kissing mess, lips meeting in between gasps and laughs.
Eventually they slowed, tangled arms and legs gripping with staying comfort rather than underhanded attempts to land on top.
Catra’s head tucked under Adora’s chin, and she placed her ear right over her heartbeat. Adora’s hand was rhythmically petting her hair down, and a contended purr rose. Catra found Adora’s wrist in the tangled under the covers, and began to absentmindedly trace shapes. Adora’s breath caught before she sighed, drawing around Catra even closer.
“I love you.” She whispered, “So much so, that I’m willing to defend you from yourself.” Her whisper carried laughter, referring to how Adora had tried to save Catra from the “attacker” (which had been Catra all along,) and mirth lifted her. However, the words struck another chord.
Maybe she did need protecting from herself, but didn’t everyone?
Well, perhaps not everyone. If she remembered correctly, it was actually a side effect of trauma.
Woo for trauma.
But at least… Adora did.
“I love you too, even if you threaten me with knives before the sun is even up.” Catra replied, and a low rumble of laughter came from Adora’s chest. “And I’m here to protect you from yourself too.” She added more seriously.
Adora stilled, and Catra could almost feel the rusty gears turning in her sleep clogged dumbass brain.
But when they registered, Adora brushed the hair she’d been brushing behind Catra’s ear before rubbing her hand up Catra’s arm in a soothing and surrounding gesture. The silence touch spoke volumes, and soon Catra’s finger stilled on Adora’s wrist as they drifted off to sleep.