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“Adora!”
Adora jumped, startled by Catra’s voice piercing through the silence of the empty bunk hall.
“Adora! Get in there!” Catra’s voice called out again, this time laced with more urgency than the last.
Her heart rate quickened. Thoughts raced through her head, going through every possible reason as to why Catra might have called out for her. Was she in trouble? Was she hurt? Worst of all, was she being attacked by a Princess? Adora sprang into action, not taking any chances and rushed to the communal bathroom where Catra’s voice sounded from.
Adora rolled in, readying herself in a fighting stance. Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings for potential threats.
Bathroom stall? Nothing. Trashcan? Nope. Sink and mirrors? Nada. Catra?
In front of Adora stood Catra. Her hands were on her hips and the tip of her long tail flicked behind her. A questioning eyebrow raised at Adora’s grand entrance.
Oh. No intruders
Adora lowered her fists and relaxed, heaving a small sigh, half of relief and half of embarrassment. Catra chuckled, flattered at Adora’s willingness to throw herself at whatever danger to save her.
“Hey, Adora.” Catra smirked.
Adora felt a wave of heat flush over her face. “Uhm, you called?”
Catra stood tall. She proudly pointed down to her legs. “What do you think of this?”
Adora looked down and snorted. What was once a fine pair of leggings that Catra donned regularly now had rips and cuts in them. On each leg were two neat rips at the thigh and a slash at the knees.
“Did you do that yourself or did you actually get attacked by a Princess?” Adora joked. Catra folded her arms and a look of exasperation flashed across her face. “It’s cool! It fits my style, don’t you think?”
Adora took a moment to look Catra up and down. “It does.” Adora said, agreeing. But her brows furrowed when a concerning thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
“Won’t you get in trouble with Shadow Weaver?”
Just the mention of her name made Catra turn away. Her expression hardened and she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.
“She finds something to fault me for every week. What’s one more?” Catra scoffed and then continued. “Besides, I don’t think she would even notice when she spends all day looking at you.”
Adora was stunned at Catra’s sudden coldness. She parted her lips, wanting to comfort her but no words came out. Adora's heart ached for her. Since they were kids, they both knew Adora had always been the favourite. Shadow Weaver never made an attempt to keep it a secret. From the soft cooing when she spoke to Adora to the ferocious punishments given to Catra with every mistake, there was no denying she played favourites.
Adora hated it. It wasn’t fair. She made a promise to Catra when they were young; that she would look out for her. Adora swore to protect Catra with everything she had, because at the end of the day, Catra was all she really had.
She thought back to how Catra’s face beamed with happiness when she showed her her leggings. A moment of joy gone too soon. She clenched her fists. She wasn’t about to let Shadow Weaver take that away from her.
“Hey,” Adora tested the waters between them. Catra’s ears instinctively twitched back towards the sound of her voice. She was listening.
Adora began. “I think those rips really suit you. And who cares about what Shadow Weaver thinks! You should even help me cut some in one of my clothes as well.”
Catra’s ears perked up at Adora’s suggestion. She whirled around, eyebrows raised in surprise.
“You’d really do that?” Catra asked.
To protect Catra, Adora would do anything.
“Yep! I’m thinking maybe the jacket sleeves. Wouldn’t want to copy your style now.” Adora winked.
Catra’s face lit up. She pulled Adora close and examined her jacket then met her eyes.
“You’re sure about this?” Catra asked. Adora gave her a lopsided smile. “Definitely.”
-
Adora was about to take her jacket off when Catra stopped her.
“It’ll be easier if you leave it on. That way I can see how it looks.”
Catra bit her lip and furrowed her brows, unsure of how she would go about designing the cuts in Adora’s sleeve. How many on each side, how long they should be, whether they should be vertical or horizontal.
While Catra was busy contemplating all the different styles she could give her, Adora was lost in her own thoughts as well. They had known each other ever since they could walk, but Adora still felt nervous whenever they stood this close. She could see every freckle on Catra’s cheek, how long her lashes were, the way her sharp eyes tapered off, the way her lips curled in concentration. Adora suddenly felt her face grow hot and she willed it away before Catra had a chance to notice. Trying to avoid that funny feeling she often gets in her chest when she looks at Catra’s face, Adora opted to look down.
She fixed her eyes on the stitching of Catra’s top, noticing how it ran along across her chest. Then her eyes drifted further down, deciding to rest on the belt Catra took a liking to hang loosely around her hips.
Catra’s clothes fit her well which helped to accentuate her figure. Adora noticed, over the years, how Catra and herself grew from small weak frames to toned ones, built of muscle with minimal fat. This was courtesy of the rigorous training they had to do on a daily basis. Adora couldn’t deny; she thought Catra’s body looked good. But anyone with a pair of eyes would think the same. And with that thought, jealousy pierced Adora’s heart.
Adora didn’t have time to think about her own jealousy when Catra reached up to gently pinch at her sleeve. She had finally decided on how she would cut into Adora’s jacket. Catra took a step forward, further closing the gap between them, and got to work. She took her time finding the perfect placement for Adora’s new look and once she was sure, she retracted a sharp black nail and carefully made the first incision. The sound of fabric being gently ripped filled the girls’ ears. Adora hoped the sound was loud enough that Catra wouldn’t notice the change in her own breathing, which she suddenly became too aware of.
Once Catra was finished with one side, she shifted over to the other, her wild hair grazing the tip of Adora’s nose in the process. They were so close to one another that Adora noticed Catra’s scent. It was warm and slightly sweet and it reminded Adora of her own blanket. Whether Catra had picked up the scent from Adora’s blanket or whether Catra had actually rubbed her scent on the blanket itself, Adora couldn’t tell. All Adora was sure of was that the very smell brought her a wave of comfort.
The sound of fabric being ripped began again and Adora took to looking at Catra’s frame. She noticed the three stripes on her shoulders first and then the texture of her short fur. Despite the living conditions they were subjected to, her fur always seemed to remain neat and ever so soft. Adora wanted to do more than to just reach out and stroke her fur. With their close proximity, Catra’s familiar scent, and the way she looks, Adora’s senses were overwhelmed. She felt this strong desire to reach out and pull Catra closer. To feel her strong body against hers. To bury her face in Catra’s neck, taking in the scent that lulls her to sleep each night. She wanted to hold her and she wanted Catra to hold her back. The very thought sent a shiver down Adora’s spine.
In her haze, Adora instinctually brought a hand up to touch Catra’s arm. At the same time, the steady sound of a nail ripping through fabric abruptly stopped. Adora thought Catra had finished and looked down at her shoulder, but Catra quickly resumed. Catra finished up the remaining length of Adora’s sleeve and took a step back, motioning her to look in the mirror.
Adora inspected both sides. Catra had given her a single clean straight cut across the middle of each sleeve. Not too long nor too short. It was perfect. She gave Catra a smile in the mirror.
“I love it!” Adora swirled around to face her. Catra avoided her gaze and Adora noticed a small blush creeping up the sides of Catra’s neck.
“You do? I didn’t want to accidentally go overboard, so I gave you just one on either side.” Catra said.
Adora closed the gap between them and took Catra’s hands in hers. “Of course I do. It looks great.”
Catra smiled at Adora. Suddenly, a glimmer of mischief flashed over Catra’s eyes, a look Adora knew all too well. Catra quickly led Adora out of the communal bathroom, snickering.
“Come on, let’s go rip up Kyle’s clothes.”