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Catra may be part feline, and use her cuteness to her advantage, but she was not a child. She didn't need anyone to dote on her or to rock her to sleep. She wasn't a baby.
Adora thought otherwise.
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"I can do it!" Argued Catra.
"I know, but it'll be easier if you just let me do it." Adora explained.
Catra huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms across her chest. She glared at Adora from where she was standing on the kitchen counter. After Adora had walked in, seeing Catra attempting to climb the cabinets to reach something on the top shell, Adora insisted she get it for her. Catra, ever the independent and self-reliant woman, saw that as Adora treating her as an invalid.
"I don't need help. I'm fine." She insisted.
Adora sighed.
"I know that, Cat, but there's nothing wrong with letting me just transform and get it down. It's quicker and easier. Plus, I don't want to risk you slipping or the shelf breaking and you getting hurt."
Catra knew she was being stubborn. Adora was just looking out for her, like always. The doofus was always trying to keep her safe, which she appreciated now, but it still felt weird. Catra never liked to ask for help. She and Adora had that in common. The Horde taught them to never ask for help, so learning to do so was a struggle. It was easier some days, but moments like this, Catra wasn't as easy to convince, no matter Adora's intentions.
"You worry too much." Catra snorted.
Adora pouted. She wasn't above begging.
"Please? Just this once. I don't want you to fall. Get down and let me get whatever you need myself. I know you're perfectly capable of doing it on your own, but you don't have to. I'm more than happy to do it."
Catra groaned. She gave in.
"Fine. Now, get me down, oh great and powerful babysitter."
Adora ignored the verbal jab, knowing Catra was just acting out because of irritation. Catra allowed her to lift her off the counter top and lower her to the floor. Catra looked at Adora's face. She couldn't help but smile, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, Romeo. Do your light show, and hurry up. I'm trying to cook at some point." She playfully taunted, taking a step back.
Adora transformed. She easily gathered the ingredients Catra needed to reach and passing them to her, before retransforming back to her regular form. Adora, proud of herself, grinned.
"What do you say?" She asked.
Catra rolled her eyes.
"Go away, you show off." She commanded, turning to get started on her cooking.
An arm looped around her waist, stopping her.
"Try again." Adora sing-songed, hugging Catra from behind.
Catra groaned dramatically. She peered over her shoulder, locking eyes with her girlfriend. Catra wasn't impressed.
"Fine. Thank you for being a pain in my ass."
Adora tsked. She squeezed Catra against her.
"Nope. Try again. Be nice, kitty."
Catra scowled, her cheeks heating up.
"I swear to Saz, Adora. Fine! Thanks for the help. Now let go."
Adora pressed a loud kiss to her cheek.
"I love you, baby. You're my cutie pie that always tries to hurt me, but you're still so cute."
Catra growled at the baby talk. Apparent humans did this thing called "cute aggression", where if they find something extremely cute, they lose control and become somewhat aggressive with affection with that thing because they literally can't handle it. Anything with certain facial structures/features like animals or babies were immediately seen as cute to their brains. Humans were weird.
Catra barred her teeth, trying to wiggle out of Adora's grasp.
"Okay. I'm cute or whatever. Cuddle me after I'm done. Deal?"
Adora, pleased with the deal, let Catra go. Catra grinned to herself, shaking her head. Dumbass.
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No one had seen it coming. Well, Catra had expected something like this to happen at some point. It happened at a festival. The party was one of many they'd been to since the end of the war. The citizens of that particular town had finished rebuilding and decided to host a party to celebrate. The princesses were invited, especially the couple that saved the world.
Catra had been hesitant to attend, sure that she wasn't wanted there. Adora, Glimmer, Scorpia, and even Micah encouraged her to come, reassuring that she was just as welcomed there as much as they were. There was music and dancing and entertainment. A couple bonfires were lit when the day moon had went down, providing a calming ambiance to the night.
Catra took a sip of her drink, smiling at something Scorpia had said. She surprisingly had been having fun. No one had given her any issues. There were the occasional stares, which were expected, but no confrontation or big scene.
Catra felt only a tiny amount touch her lips. Looking down into her cup, she frowned when she saw her cup was empty. She looked at Scorpia.
"I'll be right back, big gal." She excused, shaking her empty cup for explanation.
Scorpia nodded and turned to Perfuma to continue her story. Catra stood up, cup in hand. She made her way past her friends and around the bonfire, they'd been gathered around. She hummed along to the music that was being played by the band.
Catra noticed a group of people ahead of her, laughing and fooling around. They'd clearly had too much to drink. Catra felt almost sorry for them for the hangover they'd have the next day. Catra walked towards them, needing to get past them to get to the drinks table. Weaving through the drunk individuals, Catra barely avoiding getting whacked in the face a few times.
She'd went around one of them, trying to squeeze past them, when the person rudely shoved her away. Catra stumbled and tripped over something. It all seemed to go in slow motion. Catra was falling in the direction of the bonfire. She twisted her body sideways, curling up. She luckily was too far away to fall directly into the flames, but she still came into contact with the burning ashes. Flames licked her face, though only for a second. Searing hot pain was felt into Catra's arm and the side of her forehead.
Catra let out a scream of agony. She used her good arm and dragged herself away from the fire. Rolling onto her other side, Catra lied there, clutching her arm and screaming in pain.
"Catra!"
Catra's vision was blurry with tears. She blinked them away, looking up at the voice. Scorpia and Perfuma were there, panicked by the state Catra was in.
"We heard you scream." Scorpia explained. "How bad it is? Let us see."
Catra heavily breathed through the pain. Perfuma examined the burns, careful not to touch the areas. Scorpia helped her sit up.
Perfuma looked at Scorpia.
"We should get her to a medic or get Adora. That burn is pretty bad."
Scorpia nodded, before turning to Catra.
Catra was clutching her arm, crying in pain. Her fur was singed where the embers had come into contact, the skin underneath felt like it was still on fire. Ashes were stuck the fur. It was clear she wouldn't be able to move herself. Scorpia carefully scooped her up. The couple looks around for any sign of Adora.
"Guys!"
The couple looked in the direction of the call. Adora, Glimmer, Bow and Micah were all running towards them. Adora knelt down next to Scorpia, switching to protector mode.
"We heard Catra scream and then we saw whatever this is. What happened?" Glimmer asked immediately.
Catra pointed at the fire.
"Pushed by drunk. Fell and got burned on the fire." She could get out through the intense pain.
Adora looked at the burns. Scorpia passed Catra over to her. Adora wordlessly transformed into She-ra. By now, they'd gained quite a curious audience. Getting to her feet, Adora carried Catra bridal style.
"I'm taking her somewhere less busy. We don't need the stares." She explained.
Glimmer teleported the two back to the castle, their bedroom to be specific. She told Adora she'd check up on them later before leaving again. Adora turned her attention to her girlfriend. Catra was crying, pain on her face.
"Tell me where it hurts, kitten." Adora gently requested.
Catra opened her eyes. She took a minute to breathe. She showed Adora the burn on her arm from when she'd landed on the embers. She also pointed at the burn on her face.
Adora covered the burns with her hands, healing the injuries within seconds. Once the burns were healed, Adora transformed back to regular self, and wrapped her arms around Catra, comforting her. Catra, no longer in pain, worked on calming down. The left over tears needed to be let out. She let herself cry in the privacy of her room and the safety of Adora's arms.
Adora carded her fingers through Catra's mane, massaging the scalp.
"I've got you. You're okay, baby. You scared me a bit."
Catra sniffled, having calmed down. She pulled away a little, looking down at her arm. The fur was still dirty from the ashes of the fire. It felt hot, but not burning.
"Thanks." She said, her voice gravely. "Sorry for causing a scene. I could've just-"
A finger pressed against her lips, cutting her off. Catra lifted her gaze, to Adora.
"Don't apologize, Catra. I offered to heal you. It was an emergency and you were in pain. Of course I wanted to help. Feel better?"
Catra nodded timidly.
"You fell?" Adora then asked.
Catra shook her head. She explained everything. It was pretty funny if she thought about it, but the fear from nearly falling into a fire didn't make it that funny.
Adora cleaned the fur with a wash cloth, the cloth soaked with cold water. She was gentle and careful, though the burns were healed. The skin was still tender from the heat. Catra's heart fluttered at the care Adora treated her with.
"There. All clean." Adora smiled.
The tips of the arm fur had been burned so it looked a little black, but other than that, it looked fine. The cold water soothed the burn on Catra's forehead. Adora got a bandaid to put over it, so nothing touched it. It was only uncomfortable in that area due to the sudden heat brushing up against it. Nothing needed to heal there.
Adora kissed Catra on the head, holding her.
"I love you." She said.
Catra smiled.
"I know."
"Wanna head back to the party?" Adora asked.
Catra shook her head.
"Can we stay like this for a little while? I just need this right now."
Adora nodded. The two laid down on the covers.
"Of course, baby. Whatever you need. I'm right here."
Catra relaxed in her lover's embrace. Adora's thumb gently rubbed against the fur on her arm where the burn had been. After such an exhausting experience, just being held and cared for was welcomed. Catra still wasn't sure how she felt about Adora calling her 'baby', but let it slide. There were worse things she could be called. She was just glad the pain was gone.
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"Finally. It's over."
Adora slouched back in her chair. The event they'd hosted had gone on all afternoon. Her brain was dead from having to converse with others for hours. Glimmer, who was sitting beside her, had her head down on the table, ready for it all to be over.
"You did good, Glim." Bow praised. "Soon everyone will be gone and we can go to bed."
Glimmer muttered something under her breath. Adora giggled. She saw someone approaching from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she smiled fondly. It was Catra. The poor woman looked dead on her feet. As the royal head advisor, Catra had been the one to make sure every visiting person for whatever they needed, made sure the event went smoothly and to greet and converse with every single person.
"Hey, Cat. Finished for the night?" Adora asked.
Glimmer raised her head.
"Thank you so much, Catra. I seriously couldn't have gotten through this without you. I love you. Don't forget that!"
Catra hummed in response, too exhausted to verbalize.
"Yeah, Catra. You did amazing today." Bow added. "I can't imagine how tired you must be."
Catra's eyes were closed, her body leaning against the table. Adora smiled, taking pity on her.
"Wanna go to bed?" She asked.
Catra hummed in response. With her eyes closed, Catra walked around the table and up to Adora. Whining, she held out her arms to Adora. Adora pulled her into her lap. She got comfortable, resting her head on Adora's shoulder, her legs wrapped around her waist. Adora scratched her ear in the way she knew Catra liked. She giggle when Catra started to purr.
"Hey! Adora! Come here, please!"
Adora looked at the person calling her name, then at Catra. She transformed into She-ra before standing up. She-ra readjusted Catra so she didn't disturb her. Using one arm to hold Catra, Adora walked over to whoever called for her, using her free arm for the task.
"Uh... why don't you just put her down?" Someone asked, referring to Catra.
Adora looked almost offended.
"No. She's good right where she is. I can't put her down. She's sleeping." She replied.
"You don't have to carry her around. She's not a baby."
Adora scoffed.
"I know, but still. She's so cute when she's sleepy. She wanted to be held, and I can't say no to her when she's sleepy."
Adora kissed Catra's head affectionately.
"I will murder you in your sleep." Catra muttered, half awake, before continuing to snore.
Adora sighed, a smile on her face.
"I know, baby. I love you." She whispered.
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It was rare that Catra got sick, but when she did, she was miserable. Waking up with a stuffy nose and shivering during the summer, Catra cursed under her breath. Her body ached and felt heavy. She groaned. Rolling over, she blindly searched for Adora. Grabbing Adora's arm, she started to shake her.
Adora woke up, disoriented for a moment.
"Huh? Catra?"
Adora rubbed her tired eyes, confused for a second before turning her attention to Catra.
"What's wrong?"
Catra exhaled through her mouth, unable to breathe through her nose. She pulled her blanket tightly around her shivering yet sweaty body.
"I don't feel good." She whined. "I think I'm dying."
Adora sat up, running a hand through her own hair. She touched Catra's forehead with the back of her hand. The heat radiating off Catra's skin made Adora frown. She got out of bed.
"I'll be right back, Cat. I'm going to get the thermometer." She said.
Sure enough, Catra had a fever.
"You're sick, alright." She confirmed.
Catra groaned. "Nooo. I hate being sick. Just kill me now."
Adora rolled her eyes. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she rubbed Catra's back soothingly.
"Aww, baby. It'll be alright. We can cuddle and I can feed you soup and give you massages and read to you. Breakfast in bed sound nice?"
Catra peeked her head up out of the comforter. Adora gave a hopeful smile. Catra sighed.
"Yeah. I guess so. Though I'm gonna have to tell Sparkles, so she doesn't think I'm slacking off this time. I better still be getting paid."
Adora leaned down and kissed her head.
"Don't worry about that right now. I'll let her know. You just rest while I go get you some medicine and breakfast. M'kay?"
Catra simply nodded. Adora went to go complete the task. She returned with Catra's breakfast on a tray, along with fever medication and some water to drink through out the day. Adora found Catra cuddling with Melog on the bed, Melog on top of Catra's chest, purring. Her heart melted at the sight.
"Hey, you two." She greeted, breaking the silence. "Here, Catra."
Catra opened her eyes. She looked at Adora and the tray she was carrying. Melog perked up a bit. They were currently a dark green color, which must represent Catra's illness. They crawled off Catra, giving the woman room to sit up. Setting the breakfast tray on Catra's lap, Adora set up the medicine dosage, holding up a tablespoon. She added a sprinkle of sugar before offering it to Catra.
"Take this." She gentle directed.
Catra's ears pinned back, looking at the spoon. Getting Catra to take medicine wasn't always easy. Her tastebuds were much more sensitive to the taste, so it was bitter to her, hence the sugar.
Adora gave her a pleading look.
"Please? I added sugar."
Catra looked at her then back at the medicine. She sighed she opened her mouth. Adora fed her the medicine. Catra's face said it all. Gross. She washed it down with water immediately. Adora smiled sympathetically.
"Eat and then you can brush your teeth and then go back to sleep."
Catra held the utensils in the clumsy hands. She struggled to cut the food up, her muscles not wanting to put in effort. Catra's brow furrowed in frustration. Adora noticed.
"Want me to feed you?" She offered.
Catra glanced up at her, her expression clouded with drowsiness. She stared, trying to process the words being said. Adora decided to take over. She took the knife and fork from her sick girlfriend and cut up the food for her. Adora fed her the meal, Catra not once complained. Adora ate her own meal, chatting to fill the silence. Catra listened, offering hums and nasally grunts in return.
Adora had a guard take their plates once they finished. They freshened up in their bathroom. Splashing cold water on Catra's face helped a bit. They did some steam therapy to help her congestion. After hacking up a lung into the sink, she was temporarily able to breathe better.
Shuffling out of the bathroom, and into the bedroom, Catra was back in bed. Adora laid down next to her. Lifting an arm, she let Catra snuggle her, laying her head on Adora's chest. Adora wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Want anything else, kitten?" She asked, just to make sure.
Catra hummed tiredly. She shook her head.
"You. Hold me." She demanded.
Adora snorted.
"I'm already holding you, Cat."
"Oh. Right. Well, don't stop doing it. Gimme kiss right here."
Catra pointed to her forehead. Adora smiled.
She gladly complied.
"I love you. I'm sorry you don't feel good. I'm gonna take good care of you and spoil you until you're all better." She said, keeping her volume down.
Catra smiled sleepily.
"Am I your baby or something, dummy?"
Adora hummed and slightly tightening her hold.
"Yes, you are. You're my baby kitty and I'm gonna baby you forever and love you and hold you and unless you want me to stop, I'll do it forever because you're my kitty."
Catra hummed.
"Das.... nice..."
Adora heard a snore. Looking down at her, she saw Catra was out. Readjusting her position and the blanket on Catra, Adora relaxed and closed her eyes. She took comfort in knowing that Catra was willingly putting herself in her care. Guess being babied by your own girlfriend wasn't so bad. It had its perks.