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What wakes Adora up tonight isn’t something she normally expects; it’s not a nightmare, not insomnia, not even a waking punch in the shoulder from her girlfriend when Adora sleep fights—it’s a feeling, one that tenses her shoulders and sharpens the edges of her vision when she opens her eyes. She doesn’t even feel tired, already wide awake and aware.
It’s still dark, but not dark enough that Adora can’t see. The sun will rise soon, Adora can tell, but the sky is still a deep blue, signifying very early morning.
Adora shifts to look over her shoulder, to make sure Catra is safe before she inspects her surroundings further. She expects to find Catra asleep next to her, purring softly in her sleep, and thankfully Catra is next to her, however she’s sitting up, hands limp in her lap, staring ahead at nothing.
She looks down and spots Melog laying at the end of the bed, their mane a shade of grey Adora’s never seen before. Their head rests in front of Catra’s legs, and they briefly look Adora's way before returning their attention back to Catra.
The lack of any sort of sign as to what’s going on makes Adora anxious.
“Catra?” she calls quietly, but her girlfriend remains silent, with not even a flick of her tail as acknowledgement. Adora lifts herself into a seated position, and goes to place a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, but a whining mewl from Melog stops her midway. A warning: touch is not wanted right now. “What’s wrong, Melog?” she asks, but they offer nothing in response. They simply stare for a short moment, and then they look away again. It leaves Adora clueless.
Adora’s never seen Catra like this before. It’s almost as if she’s not even here. Her body is motionless, save for the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. Her pupils are contracted into thin lines, and she barely blinks. Her claws are protracted even though her hands are slack, as if awaiting danger even when she’s unaware. The sight is worrisome and unknown. Adora doesn’t know what to do, and not even Melog has anything to offer in support. They’re present, but they’re almost unmoving.
It’s only been a couple of months since the end of the war. She and Catra are still learning new things about each other even though they’ve known each other their whole lives. War changes people, and they’ve been apart long enough that they no longer know everything about one another. They have new trauma, new pain, new guilt, and new reactions to it all.
There are many things about them that remain the same, but there’s nearly just as much that’s changed.
Time does that to a person, to a people.
Adora didn’t expect everything to go back to normal after the war. She knew there would be new things to deal with, even if those ‘things’ were more personal than they were before.
Adora’s different, she can tell, but so is Catra. They love each other just as much as they did before they separated, but they’re changed people in ways they still have to learn.
Seeing Catra like this, this is entirely something new. She’s asked the others (their friends from the Horde) about Catra and her behavior when Adora left, this sort of… distance was never mentioned. But Adora isn’t all that surprised. Catra still struggles to be vulnerable with Adora even now, and while she’s slowly learning, Adora knows it will take more than just a couple months and sessions of therapy for her to feel completely comfortable expressing herself.
Adora knows about the isolation; she knows about the lashouts, the anger, the mean words. Adora even knows about the suicidal ideation. She remembers when Glimmer told her about her and Catra’s fight, about Catra’s surrender and willingness to die. She also remembers almost vomiting at the thought of Catra dying. Imagining Catra so defeated and compliant with her own death, when she’s always known her girlfriend to be so headstrong, brave, stubborn, and never willing to back down… It’s an image Adora doesn’t like to think about.
Catra’s told her about a couple of things so far, but nothing’s led to what Adora’s witnessing right now.
“Catra,” Adora says. “Are you okay?”
Nothing.
“Catra.”
Adora wants to touch her, to see if maybe she’ll respond to physical stimuli, but Melog already gave her a warning. They’re not even touching her, which is reason enough for Adora not to.
But she doesn’t know what else to do.
Would her friends know what this is? Should she even leave to ask? They aren’t even awake at this hour, but they always tell her that she can come to them whenever she needs help, and Adora feels like she needs it right now.
But she also feels like Catra won’t like the idea of anyone else beyond Adora and Melog seeing her like this. Still, Adora doesn’t know if she can entirely offer Catra what she needs, and if Catra is unresponsive and averse to touch, then Adora needs to figure out what else she can do.
She needs advice, but she doesn’t want to leave her girlfriend alone. Melog is here, yes, but she’s afraid any further movement will make Catra worse.
As if reading her mind, Melog sadly mewls. They look at Adora again, eyes pleading. Another meow and they lightly shuffle towards Adora. It’s moments like these when she wishes she could understand them like Catra can. When they meow for a third time, Adora knows they’re asking something of her.
“I don’t know what to do, Melog,” Adora tells them, her voice anxious. “I’ve never seen her like this before.” Melog nods, as if they share the sentiment. “I… Should I get help?” Melog nods again.
Adora’s been with Catra during panic attacks, anxiety attacks, nightmares, and she’s managed to find out how to help her based on her own experiences. Catra doesn’t like all the same things Adora does—she doesn’t always want to be touched, nor does she always want to talk—but Adora’s learned, and she knows enough about her girlfriend to switch to tactics that suit Catra best.
Adora knows Catra will hate it if anyone else is in the room with them, but Catra needs help, and Adora doesn’t think she’s the only one that can give that to her right now.
“Okay…” Adora whispers, and she slowly starts to raise herself from their bed. Her movements are careful and avoidant of Catra’s body. Melog’s watchful gaze switches between her and Catra, looking for any sort of slight movement or reaction that could stir up something bad.
When she securely gets herself off the bed, Adora doesn’t leave immediately. She stares at Catra, her eyebrows furrowed with distress. She then kneels down and gets a closer look into Catra’s appearance, because she was only getting a side profile before.
Catra looks incredibly far away. Her eyes are dull and void of any emotion. Her face is blank, and it’s unlike anything Adora’s ever witnessed before. Adora has seen her girlfriend express many different emotions: fright, anger, happiness, content, arousal—the list goes on. This however, this expression that betrays absolutely nothing but pure emptiness, is something Adora has never bore witness to.
It scares her.
Catra doesn’t even seem to know she’s there, and she’s usually so hypervigilant. She can hear Adora coming from miles away, can even smell her from the other end of the castle; she can react so quickly, reflexes sharp and aware, and is quick to analyze the movements of others before they can grab the upper hand; Catra is constantly aware of her surroundings, and a flick of her tail or a twitch of her ears are key indicators of that. Now, Catra shows no reaction at all. Her tail barely moves, and her ears are stoic.
Not able to take the sight anymore, Adora lifts herself up and makes way for the door. She silently hopes that Catra will come back to her senses and grab her arm, maybe beg her to stay, to hold her, to whisper comforting words in her ear, but she doesn’t, and Adora makes it to the door sans interruption.
She feels disappointed, but it’s only more of a reason for her to get to her friends so she can bring Catra back to herself.
Quietly opening and closing the door behind her, Adora speed walks down the hall towards Glimmer’s room, knowing Bow will be there too. It’s a shame Perfuma didn’t stay over, because she would definitely know something about this, but alas. Glimmer and Bow might know something, or they might be able to point her in the right direction. Her friends always find ways to help.
The walk isn’t long, and when Adora arrives at Glimmer’s door, she doesn’t even bother to knock, and she’s grateful she doesn’t walk in on anything weird. Not that they’d be up this early, Adora never is either, but she’s accidentally walked in on some… things that have left her very wary of approaching Glimmer’s room when she can’t find Bow anywhere else in the castle.
Glimmer startles awake at the sound of the doors opening, sleepily but almost accurately tossing a ball of magic Adora’s way. It nearly hits Adora, but it hits the wall instead.
“Woah!” Adora shouts, and Glimmer’s bedroom doors slam shut behind her.
“Adora?!” Glimmer cries out. “What the fuck?!” Bow blearily wakes up beside her, rubbing his eyes and lazily lifting his head from the pillow. It’s not a surprising sight. Adora doesn’t even know why he still has his own room when he never stays in it.
Adora winces. “Sorry! I’m just slightly freaking out right now and I need your help.”
“What’s wrong?” Bow asks, Adora’s panicked tone waking him up completely. “Was there an attack? Are you okay? Is Catra okay?”
“No, there hasn’t been an attack. Yes, I’m okay, sort of, but Catra is not.”
Glimmer sits up completely, throwing the blanket off of herself and entirely onto Bow. He doesn’t take a moment to complain though, because he’s up not even a moment after her. They approach Adora together, eyes worried. “What happened?” Glimmer asks.
“I, I don’t know,” Adora stutters. “I woke up with a bad feeling, and when I turned around to check if Catra was still there—because maybe she could’ve run off or something, I don’t know—but she was just sitting there and staring at nothing.” Adora runs a frazzled hand through her hair. “She isn’t responding to me, and Melog won’t let me touch her, and she just… She doesn’t even look like she can hear me. It’s almost like she’s not even there.” Her eyes tear up as she remembers. “I don’t know what to do. Melog told me to get help, and I didn’t want to leave her, but I seriously don’t know how to get her back.”
“Oh, gosh,” Glimmer whispers. “She’s not answering at all?”
Adora shakes her head. “Not even her ears or tail.”
“Did she have a nightmare maybe?” Bow suggests.
Adora shrugs. “I don’t know,” she whines, and she hides her face in her hands. “I’m scared. I’ve never seen her like this before.”
“It’s okay, Adora,” Glimmer assures her. “We’ll help her. We’ll bring her back.”
“I think Perfuma’s mentioned something like this before,” Bow tells them, “but I can’t remember what it’s called.”
“Do you remember what she said?” Glimmer asks.
“A bit, yeah.” He nods. “She said that sometimes people can kind of ‘zone out’, which definitely isn’t the right term for it, in response to stress or trauma. But sometimes they don’t even completely zone out. They can sometimes seem like they’re acting normal, but later on, they might not even remember what they did the entire day. It’s like they’re waking up even though they’ve been active all day.”
“But Catra isn’t acting normal at all. I’ve seen her zone out before, this isn’t it,” Adora says.
“Yeah, but she also said that sometimes they can just, like, completely remove themselves. It’s not usually done on purpose, because it’s a reaction to something, but like you said about Catra, it’s almost like they’re not even there.” Bow frowns apologetically. “That’s all I remember.”
“How do we help her?” Glimmer asks.
“I don’t know. She never mentioned anything about it, because Scorpia came in soon after and they left.”
“Shit.”
“What am I supposed to do with that?” Adora whines.
“I’m sorry, Adora. If I remembered the name, we could’ve looked for it in the library. Maybe we can try to look for it by description?” Bow offers.
“That could take hours,” Glimmer says. “Catra needs help now.”
“Maybe we can call Perfuma?” Adora suggests.
“Is she awake this early?” Bow asks.
“Well, she’s gonna be,” Glimmer says. “Bow, can you try calling her?”
“Yeah.” He nods, and walks across the room to get his communicator pad. He searches Perfuma’s contact quickly, and dials her without hesitation.
It rings five times before Perfuma answers, groggy and barely awake. Her eyes squint at the screen. “Bow?” she mumbles. “Why are you calling me so early? The sun hasn’t even risen yet.”
“I know, I’m sorry to wake you,” Bow apologizes. “We just need your help with something.”
“We?” Perfuma asks. Another voice groans sleepily beside her: Scorpia.
“Wha’s goin’ on?” she asks in the background.
“Bow called,” Perfuma whispers to her.
“Hi, Bow,” Scorpia greets tiredly.
“Hey,” Bow replies before he gets back to the task at hand. “Perfuma, you know that thing you were talking to me about a couple of weeks ago? The zoning out thing?”
“‘The zoning out thing?’”
“Yeah, like, the thing when you can kind of disappear into your head.”
“Oh, that.” Perfuma nods, rubbing at her eyes. “That is called dissociation.” Perfuma sends him a curious look. “Why are you asking about it?”
“Um,” Bow hesitates. He, too, knows that Catra wouldn’t be pleased to have her issues aired out, but this is for the better of his friend, and they need all the help they can get. “Catra, she’s… We think she’s dissociating.”
“What?” Perfuma worriedly asks. Scorpia rises from the bed beside her, her face in the corner of the frame.
“Is Wildcat okay?” Scorpia asks frantically.
Bow shakes his head. “Adora just came into the room and told us, and it sounded almost exactly like what you told me about. I just couldn’t remember what it was called, and we didn’t want to waste time trying to find something about it in the library.”
“Can you explain further?” Bow nods, and just as he’s about to repeat Adora’s earlier words, the latter comes forward to do it herself.
“Perfuma?” she calls to her.
“Adora?” Perfuma replies. “Is Glimmer there, too? Can you explain to me what’s happened?”
Adora nods, and she retells her story, describing Catra’s behavior, or lack thereof. When she finishes, Perfuma marks their suspicions correct.
“That does sound like dissociation. And you said you do not know what caused it?” she questions. Adora shakes her head. “Is Melog still with her?” A nod this time. “Alright,” she starts. “In some cases, touch can help, but if Catra has an aversion to it right now, that would not be the best idea. Any sort of grounding exercise could work, but if she’s unresponsive, it could be hard to find an appropriate one.”
“So what do I do?” Adora asks, getting more panicked by the second. Glimmer rests a comforting hand on her back.
“You can try continuously talking to her, to give her something to hold onto and focus on. You can also use an ice cube or anything frozen to help bring her back into the moment. It does involve a slight touch, but it’s safer than touching her yourself. The cold sensation will give her something to react to.”
“Okay,” Adora sighs. “What do I do when she starts to come back?”
Perfume shakes her head. “It may be a slow process. She could return to herself sooner than expected, but it could also take a while depending on how deeply she’s away. I cannot tell you an exact timeframe, but she will not wake in the same way she would from a nightmare.” Adora nods, and Perfuma continues, “You can help her regain herself by using her senses. Provide her something to describe using her sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. It will help ground her. Everyone is different, but these are proven techniques that do help.”
“What if that doesn’t work?” Adora asks.
“Then use grounding techniques that you know she is comfortable with.”
“Okay.” Adora nods. “Okay.”
“Thanks, Perfuma,” Bow says.
“Of course,” Perfuma replies. “Anything to help a friend.”
Bow smiles, and when they ensure that they have all the information they need, they let Perfuma go so she can head back to sleep. Adora is still anxious, but she feels a little better with help from her friends. Now all she has to do is go help Catra, which she’s still nervous about, but she’ll do anything for her.
“Okay!” Glimmer begins. “Now we know what to do, so let’s go help our friend.”
Adora nods, but she hesitates, something that doesn’t go unnoticed.
“What’s wrong?” Bow asks.
“I… I don’t think you guys should be there,” she admits. “Catra already struggles enough to be vulnerable with me, I don’t know if it would help her to see you guys when she’s like this, and this is so much more intense than anything I’ve seen from her before.” Adora sends them both an apologetic look. “It’s nothing against you guys–”
“Hey, we get it,” Glimmer assures.
“Yeah,” Bow agrees. “We understand.”
“Are you sure? You guys know she loves you.”
“Of course we do, even if she’d rather die than admit it,” Glimmer jokes. Adora chuckles weakly. That much is true. “But we also know that we’re not always what she needs. You are, Adora.” Bow nods, settling the score.
At that, Adora hugs her friends, thanks them, and leaves the room, en route back to her own. She arrives there in no time, and when she opens the door, Catra is exactly where Adora left her, frozen in place. This time though, Melog’s head rests on her knee, which is a good sign that Catra might be able to accept some form of touch right now. It helps that Melog acts almost like a service animal for Catra (or service magical being, whatever works best).
She also completely forgot to grab an ice cube just in case she’d need it, so she’ll approach Catra and see how she reacts.
“Hey, Catra,” Adora greets, and Melog moves over a bit, giving her space to sit in front of Catra. Her girlfriend doesn’t respond, which is what she expected, and so she continues to talk. “I just spoke with Glimmer and Bow—Perfuma, too. Sorry that I told them about this, but I was worried, and they’re our friends and they care about you. I wanted to make sure I could take care of you properly, because I don’t want to hurt you.” Adora hesitantly reaches for Catra’s hands, and when Catra doesn’t flinch away from the touch, nor does Melog growl a warning, she takes them in hers and strokes Catra’s knuckles with her thumbs. “At least, not again,” she adds solemnly.
Adora wishes she knew the perfect things to say right now, because she honestly feels like she might fuck something up and make Catra worse, but she has to believe in herself. Catra wouldn’t like her doubting, especially when Catra believes her more capable than Adora believes herself. Adora wonders if it even matters what she says. Catra needs something to cling onto, and if there’s anything Catra’s ever said she loves about Adora, it’s her voice. Adora doesn’t completely get it, but Catra’s voice always calms her down, so she guesses it’s the same thing.
“Scorpia says hi,” Adora tells her, and while Scorpia didn’t actually ask her to pass on the message, she knows she’s thinking of Catra. “She’s worried about you, too. She was with Perfuma when we called.” Adora stares down at her and Catra’s hands. “Do you think they’re together? They look together. I mean, they were in bed together, yeah. But like, dating, I mean.” When she looks over at Melog for assurance, they simply stare back at her. She can’t read their mind like Catra can, but something in their eyes helps Adora push forward. “I think they’d be cute together, don’t you think? Still can’t believe Scorpia had a crush on you, though. Or, well, I can. You’re you, and I love you plenty. So do a lot of other people. So, I guess it makes sense.
“You know, I think I’ve had a crush on you since we were kids,” Adora admits. “I don’t think I understood what it meant back then, but looking back on it now, I’ve loved you a long time.” A flick of Catra’s tail nearly startles Adora, and it’s one of the signs Adora’s been looking for, so she continues talking. “Do you remember back at the Horde, when everyone else was asleep, when we used to whisper about what our futures would look like? Mine always had you in it, y’know. I couldn’t imagine a future without you, Catra. It kind of scared me to think of a life where I didn’t have you there with me, because how could I exist in a world without you? It felt impossible—feels impossible, still. The time we spent apart… It kept me going knowing that even if you weren’t with me, you still existed somewhere.” Adora shrugs, a small smile gracing her lips. “It might sound bad, but sometimes I enjoyed fighting with you, because it meant that I at least got to see you.
“I love you a lot, Catra,” Adora says. “It scares me to see you like this, because I’ve never seen it before, but that doesn’t mean it’ll push me away. I’m staying, and I’ll be here when you come back to me.” Adora watches Melog’s hue slowly start to lighten a shade—still grey, but not as dark, and it’s as good a sign as ever.
For the next while (Adora doesn’t really pay attention to the time) Adora continues to talk. She talks about anything and everything. She tells stories of their time apart, some things Catra knows, some she doesn’t. She speaks about how much she missed Catra; how happy she is that Catra’s here with her now; how it fills her heart with joy every time she wakes up and sees Catra laying beside her in bed. She tells Catra she loves her so many times, she can’t even count it with both of her hands.
The entire time she checks for more signs of Catra’s clarity. Little by little, Catra’s tail and ears begin to react to her speech. Her eyes still look through Adora, but she’s slowly coming to, and Adora will take whatever Catra’s willing to give at whatever pace she desires.
Melog’s mane changes with her, and while it takes a bit of time, they finally reach a colour that Adora’s familiar with, and it’s then that Adora watches Catra’s eyes flicker around. It’s unhurried, and Adora can tell she’s still not entirely here, but it’s enough to help get Catra on the right track out of the deep well of her mind.
“Catra,” Adora says, “I’m right here.” Catra doesn’t immediately react, still lethargic, but when her eyes eventually meet Adora’s, Adora can tell she can actually see her. Catra doesn’t say anything, but her eye contact speaks for itself. “Hi, kitten.” Adora smiles. She gently raises Catra’s hands to her mouth, kissing her knuckles. Catra watches her, but her reaction is still delayed, so when she looks back up at Adora, her hands have already been sitting back down in her lap for a few moments. “Can you hear me?” Adora asks. Catra weakly nods after a few seconds. “Can you feel my hands?” Another belated nod. “That’s good. You’re doing so good for me, Catra. I love you so much.”
A quiet purr fills the silence in the room. It’s all the response Catra seems to be able to muster, and it’s perfect regardless.
“Do you feel Melog on your knee? They’ve been with you this whole time,” Adora says. “I’m sorry I had to leave earlier, but I’m not leaving again.” Catra’s face slowly shifts into a look of confusion, and Adora thinks it’s because she doesn’t remember her leaving. She’ll tell her more about it later, when she’s more conscious. “Can you see Melog? Look down.”
Catra’s head shifts down enough for her to see her companion, and they stare right back at her. They let out a meow for Catra to hear.
“Hear that?” Adora asks. Catra responds quicker than before, though still slightly late, with a small nod. Melog meows again, and they start purring with Catra. Adora loves how they understand each other so well, even if she gets jealous of it sometimes.
Catra looks back up at Adora, and instead of making eye contact, it looks like Catra examines her face. She stays quiet while Catra does her thing, continuing her caressing movements across Catra’s knuckles. She feels Catra’s own hands weakly squeeze hers in return. It’s barely noticeable, but it makes Adora smile. When her eyes finally settle onto Adora’s, they seem more aware than they did just a moment ago.
“Hey,” Adora says. She squeezes Catra’s hands gently, a response to hers, and Catra repeats the action. “Can you smell me? Smell Melog?” she asks. Catra nods. “Can you describe it for me?”
Catra hesitates, and Adora thinks that maybe she’s not ready to talk yet, but Catra opens her mouth and says, “Home.”
The words almost make Adora cry, because that’s the sweetest thing she’s ever heard, and it makes her fall in love with Catra all over again. She pushes back her tears, and nods with a wet smile. “Yeah. ‘Home.’”
“Mm,” Catra hums. Her purrs grow louder, and whilst slightly sluggish, she leans her head down until it rests against Adora’s shoulder.
Adora presses a gentle kiss to Catra’s temple. “Feel that?” she asks. Catra nods. “I love you so much.”
Catra nuzzles her head into the crevice of Adora’s neck. “Love you,” she whispers. Melog shifts beneath her, making themselves small so they can curl into Catra’s lap.
Adora lets go of one of Catra’s hands and moves it to rest atop of Melog’s back. Catra instantly begins to pet them, scritching at the base of their neck, one of their favourite spots to be pet. They match the sound of her purrs, meowing comfortingly.
The three of them sit like that for a while, curled into each other. Adora’s free hand combs through Catra’s hair, which is still tousled with sleep. She gently untangles it, pressing kisses to her head when Catra lets out a tiny whine whenever her hand gets caught. Catra doesn’t make Adora stop though, almost as if the faint pain helps. Maybe it does.
Adora whispers soft assurances into Catra’s ear. She asks her simple questions, mostly one’s she can answer with a yes or a no, and Catra responds the best she can until she’s able to speak more. Eventually, Catra lifts her head, and Adora drops her hand to her lap. Catra’s eyes meet her, and they look sorry, guilty, which Adora doesn’t like in the slightest.
Adora shakes her head. “Don’t apologize,” she says before Catra has the chance.
Catra looks away.
“Hey.” Adora lifts her hand to Catra’s chin, turning her head back towards her. “I’m not upset.”
“It scared you,” Catra replies, using Adora’s words from earlier, which meant she heard at least some of what Adora said.
“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take care of you,” Adora tells her.
“I scared you.”
“I wasn’t scared of you, Catra. I was scared for you. I’ve never seen you like that before.”
Catra tries to look away again, but Adora’s hand is stubborn, so she instead turns her eyes downward. “It doesn’t happen often.”
“It’s happened before?”
Catra nods. “Don’t know how long it lasted.”
“When?” Adora asks, concerned.
Catra shrugs, and Adora doesn’t know if she’s being honest, but she doesn’t push further.
“That’s okay,” she assures. “We know how to handle it better now, at least. So if it happens again, I’ll be here just like I am today.”
“You don’t have to,” Catra argues.
“Catra, look at me.” She does, albeit hesitantly. “There will never be a day where I don’t want to take care of you. I love you. I’m staying by your side until the day I die. Nothing is going to change that.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth.”
“No.” Catra shakes her head as best she can against Adora’s hand on her chin. “About you dying. I don’t want to think about that.”
Adora smiles sadly, and she nods. “I’m sorry, but the sentiment stands,” she insists. “I will never leave you alone when you need me. I want to be by your side always. This? This doesn’t change that.”
“I’m sorry,” Catra mumbles.
“I told you, you don’t need to be sorry.” Adora leans down to press a kiss to Catra’s forehead, then down to her lips. “I will always want you, no matter your state.”
Catra’s eyes well up with tears, and she tears her head away so she can hide herself in Adora’s neck instead. She wraps her arms around Adora’s shoulders, and Adora pulls her into her lap. Adora rests a hand on the back of Catra’s neck, and the other caresses the bottom of her back.
“I mean it,” Adora says.
“I know,” Catra replies weakly. “I love you.”
A couple of tears slide down Adora’s own face. “I love you, too. So much.”
They sit with each other for another long while (neither of them pay attention to the time). Catra slowly returns to herself completely, and it takes more assurances and gentle touches to do so. Melog stays in her lap until the two of them shift to lay down, Catra huddled against Adora’s chest, and Adora’s arms wrapped around her tightly. They settle back down in their original spot, at the end of the bed right next to Catra’s feet, and they purr while Catra’s mind clears. While Adora doesn’t hear it, she can tell they’re sending her comforting thoughts, as Catra’s furrowed brows slowly relax into the quiet.
It’s nice to see Catra’s tail sway with content, peaceful in Adora’s arms.
“So, Sparkles and Arrow Boy know?” Catra asks, breaking the silence.
“Yeah,” Adora says. “Sorry.”
Catra snuggles into Adora’s neck. “It’s okay or whatever.”
Adora smiles. “Aw,” she cooes.
“Don’t make it a thing, princess.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“That sound was enough.”
Adora chuckles, kissing the top of Catra’s head. “They love you, y’know.”
“Whatever,” Catra replies, but she doesn’t deny their care, which is a recent improvement.
“So do Perfuma and Scorpia.”
Catra sighs. “Stop making this a sob-fest.”
Adora snorts. “Just saying it how it is.”
“Whatever,” Catra says again.
They lay in silence for another while, and Adora almost thinks Catra’s fallen back to sleep, her purrs quieter, and Melog almost entirely silent.
She’s about to let her eyes shut too, before Catra speaks up again, “I’ll talk to Perfuma later.”
“Yeah?” Adora whispers, hopeful.
“Mm.”
“Okay.” Adora leans her head against Catra’s. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“I know,” Catra answers.
One last moment of silence passes, and though Adora knows they’re supposed to be trying to sleep, her body can’t fathom the idea. She wonders if Catra feels the same.
“Scorpia and Perfuma are definitely dating,” Catra says, confirming Adora’s thoughts.
She laughs. “I know!”