Archive of Our Own

Adora shuts the motel door behind her, breathing in and listening for any footsteps coming toward them. When she hears none, they then look at Catra holding the bag of jewels and cash, grinning ear to ear. They are both sweating from the heat outside, but that's the least of their concerns at the moment.

"We almost got caught for that." Adora breathes out, slightly annoyed. She should be more annoyed with the way Catra risks them, but she can't think of much when the woman looks at her like that, the high of a con gone right in her eyes and a tender smile on her lips.

Catra tugs Adora deeper into the room, having her sit on the bed. She straddles their lap and rips their dress shirt open, the buttons clattering on the wooden floors. "Relax baby, I'll never let anything happen to you." She smirks, confident in her ability to make the world do as she wishes. And right now, her world is Adora. "We have more money than we could ever want and a clean getaway plan. Tomorrow, we'll be sipping cocktails on the deck of our boat. Now we just need to enjoy tonight."

It’s not that simple. They still have to find a way to fence their biggest prize, the Heart of Etheria, and actually make it to the damn boat. But all of that can wait.

Catra leans down, placing open mouth kisses down Adora’s neck and gripping both sides of her button-down tightly. She runs one hand lightly over Adora's bound chest, a barely there touch that doesn't remind Adora of what's underneath.

"I'm always going to take care of you. And right now, I'm going to make you feel good." She leans back and lets Catra have her way with her, eyes fluttering shut as she savors every touch, both rough and soft.

The next morning, she wakes up alone—no loot, no wallet, and no Catra.

She practically bounds out of her bed, their breath coming in short bursts as she wakes up from the nightmare. No, a nightmare is too kind, they think ruefully. A memory.

It's been years since they last saw Catra, holding her when they fell asleep with whispered promises of forever. They'd panicked in the morning looking for her until they realized—too little too late—that it was all a setup.

They shake out their short, cropped hair, pulling the length at the top into a bun. She stretches before pulling out of bed, taping down her chest before putting on a short sleeve flannel shirt. It's a bit nippy, but once they get into town, she'll mostly be indoor anyway.

She's looking for some materials to patch up the roof of the barn, at least until she can afford to redo it. She clips on her suspenders and heads to the living area where Glimmer and Bow are having breakfast.

"Hi Adora. Do you want some?" Bow signals to the coffee pot.

Adora shakes her head. "I'll be going to town today and I'm stopping by the diner for breakfast."

He nods his head in understanding. Glimmer nods groggily, barely awake even though it's already eight in the morning. They always wondered why Glimmer picked this kind of lifestyle if she didn't like the mornings.

“We need to check the southern fence soon and I want to go over some numbers with you.” Bow reminds them.

“Yeah, sure thing.” She agrees readily. They were lucky to have found Bow and Glimmer when they needed a business partner because Adora was shit at a lot of what it took to run the farm.

The ride into town is a short one; once she's done loading up her truck with errands, she finds her way to a booth in Mara's diner.

"Hey Starla." Adora tips their coffee mug toward the blushing waitress. She's a shy young thing, too young to be mooning after Adora. Still, they won't lie, it makes her feel handsome.

"Hi Adora. What can I get you today?" She’s professional as always. Adora genuinely likes Starla, she’s a good kid. Her brother sometimes works odd jobs on the farm and her sister was better at fixing shit than Adora was.

"Just the usual." They replied, taking a sip from their steaming mug.

Starla rolls her eyes. "Your usual would put any man to shame."

"Well, you know that's usually what I'm in the business of doing." She grins unabashedly. When they’d first moved into town, some folks weren’t happy that they were doing “man’s work” as they called it. After she chopped twice as much wood as the next guy in the local amateur logging competition, the naysayers were suddenly silent.

The younger woman walks away with a giggle and one more glance back at Adora. Mara shakes her head from the cash register and then walks over, sitting opposite Adora. "You have gall, Gray. Showing your face around here on a Saturday." She leans on the rustic table with a bright grin.

They roll their eyes. "So the kid has a crush on me and I can't have coffee?" She complains, flicking Mara’s elbow on the table.

Mara laughs, a bright sound that echoes through the diner. "You know I'm messing with you. What brings you into town?"

They groan. "Patchwork on the barn roof to hold me over until next harvest." Sometimes they really hate being in charge of all the repairs, but neither Glimmer nor Bow could be trusted to do it right. She loved them but that just wasn’t in their wheelhouse.

"I still can't believe you get arms like that harvesting mushrooms." Mara eyes her for show and Adora flexes to oblige her.

They shrug. "Eh, less the forest farming than the logging. Also, cattle can be a bitch sometimes, and the repairs."

Their farm is quirky and odd, but it makes sense for her, Glimmer, and Bow. The micro-farming and livestock feed the three of them and between logging some portions and forest farming some choice crops, the money keeps coming in.

"Well, whatever it is, clearly it's working for you." Mara keeps one eye on the door, which is kind of silly. The morning rush has died down which means there likely won’t be any customers until lunch picks up.

"You're no slouch either, Mar." Adora returns the compliment. The statuesque brunette had both men and women vying for her attention, although Adora suspects that there's one girl she's most interested in pursuing.

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah—see this is why I let you come into my diner, the ego boost."

Adora laughs and drinks more of her coffee. "Anything else going on around here?"

Mara leans forward and brings her voice to a murmur. "There's supposedly a new person in town  I haven't seen them yet, so I think Kyle's pulling my leg."

Adora shakes her head. "Knowing Kyle, someone was pulling his leg and he couldn't tell."

Mara snorts. "Ain't that the truth." They both share a look only two people who’ve met Kyle could understand.

She waggles their eyebrows at Mara. "What about Hope, she come around lately?"

It feels like the whole town has been on the edge of its seat, waiting for those two to stop dancing around each other. Or rather, for Mara to get off her ass and pursue Hope in earnest.

"She was here yesterday, looking for something to eat."

Adora grins as she tugs on her shirt sleeve. "Oh yeah? Did you tell her she could eat y—"

"Adora!" Mara shoves her with surprising strength, a blush rising to her cheeks. She looks around for eavesdroppers. "I'm working on it."

"You're so slow, Mar. Just make a move!" They urge their friend.

"It's not that easy you know that!"

Adora has to admit Hope seems like a tough nut to crack. She's very focused on work and trying to divert her attention seems impossible. But she always makes time for Mara and that has to mean something.

"Well, you'll figure it out I'm sure. I have a good feeling about it." There's just a warmth in the way Mara and Hope look at each other that feels right to Adora.

Mara points an accusing finger at Adora. "Yeah? Are you some kind of romance guru? Don't think I don't see your lack of game!"

Adora sputters. "I don't have a lack of game! I have a lack of interest. It's different."

"Really? Poor Starla." She teases quietly, looking over to make sure the girl doesn’t overhear. "What are you looking for then?"

"I'm not, I've had enough romance to last me a lifetime." The edges of the words are bitter, but she stays smiling. "But at the very least someone who's been out of high school for more than two years." She mutters under her breath.

Mara shoots her a sad look. "Well, I think we could all use a little romance sometimes. You deserve love too, Adora."

Starla comes back with a heaping pile of eggs bacon and waffles. "I think I'll be fine," Adora says with a shrug, digging into her meal.

Most people think romance can't be dangerous, but Adora knows better than most that isn't true.

She's holding Catra close, her arm around Catra's waist rubs small circles on her hip. Catra shoots her a short glare to get her to stop. Adora grins innocently, even though they know exactly how distracting she finds that movement. Still, they act the doting partner.

"Baby, can you buy me this?" Catra holds up a chocolate bar.

Adora smiles indulgently. "Of course, sweetheart. I'll be right back." She goes to the cash register, keeping her eye on the bulging mirror that most gas stations have to ward off people like them.

This isn’t a huge town, but it’s in between two large cities. That means there are a lot of tourists making their way from one to the other. This gas station is nicer than most in the area, but not nice enough to have a new security system, which they were counting on when they cased it.

She makes sure to be affable and kind to the teenager who is at the register, clearly apathetic to the work he has. She notices he has a video game behind the register, and she asks about it. His eyes light up and he starts chatting with her more earnestly. As he talks, they look at the cold drinks in the fridge. They wish they had time to take one, but they hadn’t planned for that.

They can hear Catra making conversation with two yuppies who are just passing through. Adora contains their smirk. In the mirror she can see Catra pickpocket all three men in the gas station and then she even slips a brooch off an older woman she bumps into. Adora hands over the change for the candy bar and smiles, thanking the kid.

She walks back leisurely to Catra, wrapping her arm around her waist and leading her to the car. As they drive away, Catra is flipping open wallets.

"We have four-fifty in cash, four new credit cards, and I think next time we fence with DT this brooch could be worth something." She reports as she tosses the leather out the window, keeping the valuables.

"That's four-eighty cash, sticky fingers. I can count from here." If there’s something you needed to know working cons, it was arithmetic.

Catra grins openly, shooting her a flirty look. "Gotta keep you on your toes."

She places a loud smacking kiss on Adora's cheek, popping the extra thirty into the front pocket of her button-down, as if leaving her a tip.

They look over at her fondly, reaching out to hold her hand on the gear shift. "I love you." She says softly. There’s no one in the world that Adora would rather spend her days with than Catra.

The excitement from the successful pinch falls away from Catra’s face and slowly turns to a warmth that makes Adora's breath catch every time they see it. "I love you too, 'Dor."

They startle awake, a cold sweat on her brow. Instead of the warm desert air and Catra at her side in an old truck, she's back on her farm catching her breath as she looks around her room. It’s morning but a close call, the sun has barely started to peek out. Even in their room, it’s cold, the air hurting their lungs as they breathe in deeply trying to calm their thundering heart.

It's always Catra isn't it? No matter what corner of the world she's in, she never leaves Adora's head, haunting them with her feigned closeness. They aren’t sure that a part of them isn’t always going to yearn for the woman that abandoned her without a trace.

She puts her head in her hands and groans. They decide they want to be alone today—she's just in one of those moods. She tamps down the swell of heartbreak they feel whenever she has a good dream about Catra.

They almost run down the stairs taking them two at a time. She catches sight of a pink head of hair and groans internally. "Glimmer, I'm going to go to cut down some wood. I'll be back."

She doesn't bother waiting for a reply or putting on their jacket, knowing they'll just sweat through it. They grab their axe, tapping it on the side of their boot before hauling it over their shoulder.

They walk as deep as most dare and farther still, until the farm is just a distant memory. She isn't afraid of anything in these woods. They're still angry, frustrated that after everything her dreams of Catra could affect her like this. Could be so soft and leave them yearning for someone who betrayed them.

They aren’t bothering to be quiet, practically stomping through the dirt, although they make a point to not disturb anything underfoot. They’re so loud that they don’t realize there’s someone else around.

"Some of us are trying to enjoy nature." She hears a mocking sardonic voice she hasn't heard in eons. They look beyond the tree in front of them and standing in the middle of the woods—there's Catra.

She looks almost the same except her hair is longer and she's holding a paintbrush of all things, hand poised over a canvas, the other on her hips. But it simply can't be. She hasn't seen Catra in years, she wouldn't just turn up in the middle of the fucking forest of all places.

They can't believe this. First their dreams and now this?

"Fuck. You really can't leave anything well enough alone, can you?" The hallucination looks shocked to see her, which seems like an odd reaction for her brain to conjure. "I came to the forest to be away from you, don't follow me here. This is a good space for me, and I don't want to think about you here." She looks at the axe in her hands. "Not that that's ever stopped you before."

They aren’t sure that talking to people they made up in their head is exactly the healthiest thing they’ve done, but they're made of stronger stuff. They'll get past this like they overcome everything else.

"What?" The hallucination puts down the paintbrush. "Adora?" It calls out in disbelief.

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm Adora, but you know that."

The hallucination instead of just blinking out stands there for a moment longer before turning away and leaving. It's so odd because the paint, easel, and more stay there as if they’re real. She ignores them and walks deeper into the forest, undoing their suspenders so they have more freedom of movement.

She chops wood, the smooth mechanical movements calming their brain, the hallucination gone. By the time Adora feels ready to go back and face the world, her white shirt is drenched with sweat, making her skin feel cold now that she's stopped moving.

As they walk the way they came, a flash of white catches the corner of her eye. She turns and the canvas is still there. The easel the paint, all of it sitting exactly as it was before. They tense, waiting for the rest of the hallucination to show up but it doesn't.

They must be losing their damn mind.

They cautiously approach the setup. The half-done painting is absolutely gorgeous, catching the wispy pines and stocky cedars while the foreground is mostly undone. With a trembling hand, they reach out and touch the wood of the easel, yelping when they feel it under their fingertips.

Fuck. But if the painting is real then—They stare at the easel under their hand, the paint droplets on the ground from when they surprised Catra earlier.

It isn't a hallucination.

Adora doesn't know how long she sits there staring at the canvas until her fingers go numb. By the time they come to, the sun is high in the sky and she knows she spent way too long alone in the forest. If they don’t go back soon, someone will come out looking for her.

They quickly pack up the easel and the rest of the supplies, taking it with them so they can have some proof that seeing Catra earlier wasn't some unfortunate mirage. They have to leave behind most of the wood they spent all morning cutting but that doesn’t matter anymore.

The walk back to the farm is long but she barely feels it, so lost in their own head. They walk straight to the kitchen, hoping that being around someone else will ground them.

"Glimmer, have you heard of anyone new in town?" They ask quickly.

She startles, having not heard Adora walk in. "Well, you took a damn long time out there. What were you doing, meditating?" Glimmer's easily moving through the kitchen, the tease flung carelessly as she kneads bread.

"Glimmer, please." She runs a hand through her short hair, desperate for answers. Glimmer must notice the look on their face because she stops kneading and turns to look at her more fully.

"What's wrong? Are you asking about the French woman?" She eyes Adora with concern.

Adora furrows her brow. "A French woman?" She clarifies with a tilt of their head. Catra’s not French, she’d never been more east than Texas while they were together.

"Yeah, yeah, it's all anyone's been talking about the last week. She's renting Razz's cabin. Did you run into her while you were out there?" She asks curiously.

That had to be Catra then, right? Razz's cabin is only half a mile deeper in the forest than where they found her.

She looks down at the art supplies and then back up at Glimmer. This makes Glimmer notice them for the first time and her eyes brighten. "You must have run into her she's a painter. How was that? I haven't seen her for myself yet. Is she as worldly as everyone says?" The questions are rapid-fire, but Adora’s head is just somewhere else.

Adora bites her lip as she looks down at the half-finished painting in her hand. Catra isn't French but she is a liar, and what are the odds that another woman lives near that area and is also painting?

"I guess I did see her." They conclude softly, eyes never leaving the canvas.

"You don't seem happy about that. What happened? Do I need to give her a talking to?" Glimmer went from curious to dealing in threats in a matter of seconds. Adora thinks she would have made a great con-woman in another life.

Adore shakes her head. "I must have scared her off. She left her easel and all of whatever this art bullshit is." She delivers the half-truth with confidence.

Glimmer groans, smacking her head and getting flour on her forehead. "Adora! What do you mean? Have you scared off the only newcomer we've had in months already?" She all but screeches.

"I guess she wasn't expecting to see someone in the middle of the forest that early." She probably wasn’t expecting to see a ghost in the forest. She doesn't think twice about the lie. She might not be as good as Catra, but she's a liar too.

"Well, that's fair I suppose." Glimmer turns back to the kitchen placing the dough she'd already made in a bowl and covering it with a towel. She eyes Adora. "I guess that gives you another chance to see her when you return her things to her. "

Adora rolls her eyes. "If she cared about them so much, she wouldn't have left them in the middle of a forest." She points out.

"Where is your hospitality!" Glimmer is insufferable when she gets these things in her head.

"Fine. I'll return them to her whenever I see her again." She's already dreading it.

The stars out in the desert are always the most beautiful. Adora isn’t sure if it’s the lack of light contamination, the solitude, or if it was just the girl they got to share it all with.

"What do you most want in the world?" Catra asks her, the words murmured across Adora’s skin.

They can't afford a hotel and they worry that the license plate from their stolen truck will get spotted, so they are out in the middle of nowhere, only a blanket and the truck bed to keep them warm.

People think deserts are always warm but that's fucking bullshit because Catra's teeth are chattering away, even as Adora presses her closer.

"Right now? To keep you warm." She says a little desperately. Catra’s so much smaller than she is and she's always cold. They wish they had something else to offer them, something more substantial than just body heat.

Catra rolls her eyes, giving her a smile. "No dummy. For real." She insists.

Adora purses her lips and thinks about it. They don’t want to sound like the lovestruck idiot she is and say Catra is what she wants most in the world. It's true, but she'll always have Catra, regardless.

As Adora thinks, Catra shoves her feet between Adora’s legs moaning as her little icicle toes catch the space between Adora’s socks and her pants. She lets out a squeal but stays still, holding Catra tighter to her chest.

"I'd want for us to sail a boat in the Caribbean or something. We'd just eat seafood and lounge around. I'd get to watch you walk around in skimpy little bikinis all day."

The image warms her in all kinds of places, having a slice of abject hedonism with Catra. Not worrying about getting caught or having enough, just about having each other.

"That sounds amazing, baby." Her puff of breath tickles Adora’s neck. She places a soft kiss there, causing Adora to giggle. "One day 'Dor, we’re gonna have that. A boat that we're going to sail wherever we want."

"You think so?" At twenty years old, it feels impossible to imagine a world where they aren't just roughing it.

"I promise." She smiles but it quickly turns devilish. "Now, I can think of a few ways you could warm me up," Catra says with a sly look.

"We are out in the open and it's cold." Adora puts up a token protest, even as they move a finger to dance on the edge of her waistband.

"There's no one for miles around. Besides, I'll feel plenty warm with you on top of me." She nuzzles even closer placing open mouth kisses on their collarbone.

Adora turns her body so that Catra's beneath her, using practiced hands to make her fall apart, only the stars as witnesses. Once Catra is spent, snoring softly, they pull her close and place a kiss on her forehead.

A week later she's back in town, dreams of Catra more frequent than ever. She's used to dreaming of her but knowing she could run into her any day feels like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She's not here on business, so she instead of her work boots and suspenders she tosses on a cable knit sweater that makes their shoulders look nice and a pair of white, clean sneakers. They tell themselves it isn't because they might run into Catra.

They swing by Archer's bookstore, the diner, and walk along the pier in the brisk morning air before they stumble across Catra with Angella of all people. She supposes the mayor is as good a welcome committee as anyone else but it's unexpected. Angella isn't typically that kind of mayor.

Catra looks gorgeous as she always does. She's wearing a sweater and a blue scarf that makes her blue eye pop and her amber eye look warmer. Their gut clenches and they aren’t sure if it's in pain or anticipation.

Angella spots her and makes a beeline for her, beckoning Catra to come with. Catra does so with an indulgent smile. It seems they aren't the first to get an introduction. Her smile freezes in place when she notices Adora, but her movements don't stop, calm and natural as she stands in front of them.

"Good morning! This is Adora. She owns one of the local farms, not far from where you’re staying actually." Angella introduces with a smile. "And this is Catherine. She’s renting Razz’s cabin for a spot, so I just finished giving her a tour of the sights to see here." She tries to pronounce the name the French way, which sounds clunky under her British accent.

 Adora can't help but scoff. "Catherine?" They shoot her a look with a raised brow. The implication is clear. You used to be better at picking aliases.

Something flashes in Catra's eyes as she stares down Adora. "Oui. Is there something funny about my name, as you Americans like to say?" She speaks in a fluid, gorgeous French accent. It sounds wrong coming off of her lips.

"No, it's a fine name for a fine woman." She allows, knowing anything else would raise suspicion. She reaches forward and gives Catra a firm handshake. It burns, touching her again. When she pulls away her hand is shaking so she clenches it to her side.

Like always, Catra sees everything, her eyes flickering down to Adora’s hand then their face. "Enchanté. If you allow, I have places to be." She turns to Angella. “Your town is beautiful, thank you for showing it to me. Merci.”

Before she can take off, Adora grabs her hand again. "I have your things. You should stop by to get them." She doesn't know what comes over them, but they can't stand to watch Catra walk away this time.

Catra gives them a look they know well. I wouldn’t be caught within a country mile of you alone, blondie.

"You’ve met before?" Angella raises a perfect eyebrow, looking down between the two supposed strangers.

"No, but I found some art supplies in the woods and I put two and two together. Figure it couldn't be anyone else's." She says easily, eyes still on Catra.

She glances at the mayor and knows what Adora knows. You never do anything odd your first few days in a town, it only brings questions. And not getting your expensive ass easel back is mighty suspicious.

Her eyebrow twitches. "Thank you. I'll ask for directions and collect it later. Are you available in the afternoon?" She asks with a sweet smile. Adora can see the clench in her jaw that no one else can.

"Sure. I'll be there." They confirm, not sure why they did this to themself.

They watch as Catra’s gaze lingers on her arms and then flickers up to her face. Catra turns to Angella her tone effusive, "I had a very lovely time with you mairesse. It's nice to meet other Europeans abroad."

Adora rolls her eyes. Catra is as French as French's mustard. Angella seems charmed which Adora can't really blame her for. Catra is charming as the day is long.

Adora says a quick goodbye to Angella, turning and walking away from the two before she has to watch Catra leave them again.

When she comes back to the house, Swift Wind bounds up to her, almost as if sensing her mood. "You're a good boy." They whisper reassuringly as they lead the dog onto the couch.

They hold their dog close, petting the fluffy black fur just beneath his collar. Seeing Catra fills them with so many emotions it hurts to breathe in the aftermath.

She's angry. Of course she's angry. But Catra's is also just—alive and in front of them. Would be by the farm in a few hours and maybe she could get the answers she wants.

"What's got you all worked up?" Bow leans against the door frame eyeing her with concern. Sometimes she wondered if Bow was as in touch with feelings as Swift Wind. He always had a sixth sense that was uncanny.

"Have you ever thought about your past? Like how different you are because something happened to you?" She asks, not looking away from where they’re petting their dog. She doesn’t know who she would be without Catra loving her and leaving her.

“Sometimes. If I hadn’t come out here with that research grant, I never would have met Glim. It’s so weird to think I wouldn’t be married to my best friend if I hadn’t gotten lucky that way.”

She nods and supposes that’s true. They know the story well of how Bow’s environmental research led him to this small sleepy town and falling in love with the mayor’s daughter.

That isn’t what she’s thinking about though. “But what about a bad thing?”

“Like when a bad thing happens to you?” He sits beside her, scratching behind Swift Wind’s ear.

“Yeah.”

He makes a deep humming noise as he thinks. “I don’t really think about it much. Sure, bad things change us. But that’s life. I can’t change what’s happened to me any more than I can change the weather.”

“But if you had a chance—if you could get closure, but maybe it’ll hurt more than just not knowing?” Could she really hear Catra say why she left her? Look into her eyes and watch her break her heart all over again?

“Adora, what’s this about?” He asks again, putting his hand on their knee.

“Nothing, I’ve just been introspecting today.” They deflect.

Bow knows it’s a sign that she doesn’t want to talk anymore, raising his hands as if in surrender. “Alright. Well, I think that closure can help you heal but I can’t say for sure if you are planning on being brooding lumberjack Adora.”

They laugh at that. “Thanks, Bow. You’re the best.”

He gives her a bright smile. “I’m going to go over the budget today and I’ll get you the figures that you were asking about to see if we can afford the new chainsaw alright?”

She nods and he pads away to his office. Swift Wind follows Bow, the little traitor. She decides to make themselves useful and sweep the house. Usually, Glimmer managed most of the house chores but she knows what a pain it can be to be in charge of never ended tasks like cleaning.

She gets so absorbed she doesn’t realize how much time has passed until she hears the doorbell. She walks as quickly as she can to the front entrance, but Glimmer is somehow already there answering the door.

"Good afternoon, I am here to collect my things?" She hears Catra's voice coming from the door.

Adora walks toward Glimmer whose blocking most of the door. She looks over her head and finds Catra relaxed in a sweater, eyes trained on Glimmer.

"Glim, I put it in the back shed. I'll help Catherine get it." She interrupts before Glimmer can even say hello. Glimmer gives her an odd look but lets it go, and Adora walks out closing the door behind her.

The walk to the shed is a quiet one except for Adora’s loud stupid heart. "You were always a little bitch about the cold." Adora mentions offhand. It's all she can think with how wrapped up Catra is, holding herself and rubbing her arms for warmth.

She drops the fake accent. "And you were a little bitch about everything else."

Hearing her true voice, the rasp exactly as she remembers it brings forward just how fucking mad she is at Catra. "What are you really fucking after?" She hisses at the woman who used to mean everything to her.

"What you're the only one that's allowed to fuck off into the forest? To have done things and changed?” She asks back, angry too. Which is absurd, what could Catra possibly have to be angry about?

"You never change Catra. You just find new ways to lie." She says coldly.

Catra scoffs, shrugging one shoulder. "Well, you never did have much faith in me."

"I wonder why? Maybe it's because I had to find a way to crawl out of a town filled with FBI agents the last time we saw each other." They complain, eyes flashing at Catra. They hope Glimmer and Bow stay the fuck away from the shed.

She raises a brow, a cocky smirk at the ready. "Oh handsome, you didn't like that?" She takes a step forward, toe to toe with Adora now. "That begs the question. What does everyone in this town know about who you really are, Adora." She taunts.

"They know what matters. They know my name and they know that they can trust me. That's more that I could ever say about you."

"Rich Adora. You, trustworthy. I've seen it all." She says dismissively. "Why are you cornering me by a shed in the cold. Give me my fucking shit." She demands.

For a moment they think about pushing her into the shed and demanding answers once and for all. Finally knowing why she was set aside like a piece of garbage when all she’d ever tried to do was love her.

But the question sits in the back of her throat, anxiety making it stick there. She looks down at the ground instead. "Fine. When are you leaving?"

She juts her chin out defiantly. "Razz is letting me stay as long as I want and it's none of your damn business what I do with my life."

"Oh, you've made that crystal clear." She makes her voice nasally. "Catherine." They shake their head. "Also, French? Really? What happened to never using a cover you can't sell?"

"Fuck you and fuck off. If I had any idea you were here, I wouldn't have come." She spits out.

Some part of Adora wilts at the thought. They push past that to just being angry. "Well clearly, you probably thought I was in some federal prison. Never expected to see me again, did you?"

For a moment a look of guilt crosses her face. "Look, I've had a long day and Angella talks like a motherfucker. I'll do my best to avoid you until I'm leaving."

Catra tries to move past Adora but she’s not done, not yet. "And what stops me from ratting you out like you did me?"

It wouldn’t be less than Catra deserved after everything. But even speaking the words felt wrong. She’s gone this long in their life without betraying Catra, she isn’t sure she has the stones to start now.

"First of all, I didn't rat you out. Second, I know who you are Adora and you can't fuck with me without exposing this cozy little life you've made for yourself." She signals the farm with a half sneer on her face. "Now give me my easel and run off with your little girlfriend."

Adora furrows her brow but doesn't comment on that. She grabs Catra’s things and hands them over, careful not to touch her. "Did you really paint that?" They can't stop themselves from asking.

She looks up with narrowed eyes. "Yes. I was happily painting until my ex came out of the forest with a fucking axe looking like they might murder me."

Adora throws her hands up. "I thought you were a hallucination. It wasn't pleasant for me either!"

Catra eyes her for a moment, biting her lips to keep from smiling. "That's why you were being so weird. I wondered what was up with that."

Adora’s cheeks burn in embarrassment as she realizes what she's admitted. "Whatever." They blow off.

The atmosphere tenses again in the silence, until a streak of black comes darting out of the house and straight at Catra.

"Swifty, no!" A great dog but not the best listener, Swift Wind stops right in front of Catra and hops up on two paws, licking the side of her face.

She squeaks, shooting the dog a vicious glare. He's hardly deterred letting out a happy boof and sitting in front of her.

"Swift Wind! You have manners boy, please." She reaches out and tries to pull him back, but he refuses to leave Catra’s side. She sighs and picks him up, cradling the ninety-pound dog like a baby.

Catra stares at her, which then drops to Adora’s arms. Adora takes some satisfaction in the stare before clearing her throat. "You should go. Sometimes he gets like this, so you'll want to be off the property before I put him down."

Catra eyes Swift Wind distrustfully meanwhile he stares at her with his tongue lolling to the side. "Au revoir, for a good while I imagine." She says looking at the dog. Her eyes flicker up to Adora, a sadness sitting there. "Bye." She says curtly.

They watch Catra get on her ATV and don't look away until it’s a speck amidst the forest green.

“So, I met the French woman. Properly this time since, you know, you whisked her away before I could talk to her.” Glimmer complains.

Adora keeps using her pitchfork to lift the hay and move it to where it needs to go. She grunts in acknowledgment as Glimmer keeps talking.

“She was under the misimpression that we were dating. Seemed real interested in your business. What do you have to say for yourself?” She says slyly.

She pauses for a moment looking up at Glimmer’s smirk. Her gut clenches at the thought of Catra asking about her, she wasn’t expecting that at all. “What did she ask about me?”

“You know, conversational stuff. Like how long you’ve lived in town. It was casual but I don’t know, I got a gay vibe.” She nods her head as if finishing a report.

Adora sighs. “I think it’s best if you leave that alone Glim. There’s nothing for me there.” She’s still unsure if she’ll be able to ask Catra what she’s dying to know but, in all likelihood, Catra being in town will lead to nothing but trouble.

Glimmer casts her a doubtful glance. “Alright, well if you don’t want to get with the French hottie, guess I can’t force you.” She walks away back to her own tasks and leaves Adora with their pitchfork and their loneliness.

It feels like everywhere in town there’s some part of Catra for Adora to puzzle over. Whether it’s whispered gossip about the mysterious French painter, or a peek of her from a distance on the docks or the town square, she’s omnipresent and impossible to ignore.

Today of all days, she runs into her at the diner while discussing a birthday present for Bow with Bow’s dad. She’s sitting in the corner seat, in Adora’s preferred spot. It makes sense—Adora finds it comforting because she can see all the exits and entrances and keep an eye on anyone who might try to get the drop on her.

She looks at Lance and remembers a key fact about him that makes it impossible to ignore Catra. She walks right up to her table with Lance, telling him they’d like to introduce him to someone.

Catra’s eyes widen slightly when she sees Adora come up to her, but she quickly masks her expression.

"Have you met Mr. Archer, Catherine?" They ask politely. "I think he's the only person in town who's fully fluent in French." They gleefully inform her.

They know it’s kind of a dick move, but they can’t help get some satisfaction from catching Catra off guard, making her have to fumble and recover.

Instead of panicking as Adora expects, Catra smirks and turns to speak to Lance in perfect French, a bright smile on her face. Adora can't understand a word of it, but Lance's expression shows just how excited he is to have someone he can speak with as they both speak animated, cutting each other off at times.

Adora stares agog because holy shit. Catra actually knows French.

After a moment, Catra turns to look at Adora again. “Oh, how rude of me. I almost forgot about Adora.” She’s smirking and Adora wants to wipe it off her face and never hear her use that stupid accent again.

“Thank you for the introduction! You must pass by the bookstore. We have a lovely French collection just gathering dust when I don’t partake in it.” Lance then looks across the two of them. “Adora, I think getting him the drone is definitely the right idea, thanks for your help. I’ll be off now.” Lance gives her what he likely thinks is a covert wink and makes his way out of the diner.

“Why does everyone in this town want to set you up?” Catra asks as she crosses her legs and puts her hands daintily on the table.

Adora can’t help it she sits across from Catra. “What do you mean?”

“Your roommate practically gave me your dowry in the grocery store the other day, Lance just plopped you onto my table, and Angella has made a point to tell me all about how single and available you are.” Catra lists off as she eyes them from across the table.

Adora feels like she’s been gut-punched. She flushes red. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. People aren’t doing that.” She denies.

And then, because God hates them, Mara walks up to their table. "I see you've met our eternal bachelor here." Mara smacks Adora’s arm, taking a seat next to her. "Been working on getting them a nice lady to settle down with but no luck so far." She gives Catra an easy smile. "Maybe I should have been trying the international variety."

"Mara!" She hisses, feeling heat up to her ears.

Catra eyes her, clearly amused by Adora's lack of love life and Mara's insistence on helping as she likes to call it. She really wishes the ground would swallow her whole at this point.

"I'm fine. I do well on my own and I don't need meddling diner owners trying to set me up on dates." She isn't sure why she cares but she needs Catra to know that this isn’t some weird thing that’s coming from her.

Her lips twitch. "Of course. Why else would she be here speaking with me about her friend who desperately needs to be taken on an outing?" Her words are stilted as if she's constructing the sentence as she thinks in French, the accent thick and ever-present again.

“Oh, Adora she’s funny!” Mara laughs, nudging her elbow into Adora’s ribs.

She rolls her eyes. They don’t need someone to tell her how funny Catra is. “Okay well, I actually have things to do so I’m leaving.” She never meant to sit down and talk with Catra anyways, it just happened.

Catra gives nothing away, nodding politely as Adora scrambles to her feet. Mara stays talking to Catra and as Adora exits the diner, she hears her warm squeaky laugh. It makes Adora’s stomach fill with butterflies and the moment she’s out of the diner she lets out a groan. They don’t know that they’ll ever not be gone for Catra.

The hotels are nicer at twenty-four, but hotels are still hotels. Having to pack every few days and be out before the morning is tiresome. She wonders what it might be like to rent an apartment.

"Hey baby." Catra murmurs as she catches sight of her looking at the city lights below. She's wearing a gorgeous red dress that Adora is absolutely removing with her teeth later.

"You look amazing." They breathe quietly as they take in the full effect of the dress with her makeup and shoes.

"So do you." Adora is wearing a tailored suit that makes her feel like a million bucks. Her new binder made them feel all the better, making her chest flat enough that they were happy with how the suit fell on their shoulders and tapered to their waist.

They pull Catra close, putting both arms around her waist so that they’re both looking out the window. "Did you ever think we'd make it this far?" She whispers in Catra's ear.

"I thought if we stuck together, we would." She says resolutely. "And we aren't done. We're just getting started. There's gonna be so much more work if we pull off tonight."

Adora rests their chin on Catra’s shoulder and places a soft kiss on her neck. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

Catra turns her head and kisses Adora’s cheek. "Alright then handsome, get ready. We have some gambling tables to rig."

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Bow asks, concerned.

She groans. "Some."

Adora's used to the dreams but damn if it isn't difficult at times. When they'd rigged the tables in that classy hotel, Adora had felt on top of the world, ready to face and conquer everything. It was the last time she'd been in Reno before Catra sold her out.

She's sore from her normal physical activities, but it's a good sore, one she can push through. She’s hauling bags of dirt, helping revitalize an area of the farm that hadn’t been doing as well.

"How are you, Bow?" They have two bags of dirt on their shoulder and it’ll be easier to listen to Bow talk while she does that.

"I'm good. You know, some old same old." He gives Adora a covert look. "Okay, that's kind of a lie." His voice pitches in excitement.

"Really? Then what's up?" She eyes him curiously.

He looks around, which is weird because they are far from any other person on this part of the farm. "I think I'm going to marry Glimmer. Or well, ask her to marry me."

"Bow, that's amazing!" She tosses the bags of dirt on the ground and hugs him, glad for their friends. Still, the thought of marriage prodded an open sore for her. "I almost proposed to a woman once." She admits. The words slip out without thinking.

Bow’s head snaps to look at Adora more closely. "Really? I had no idea."

They bite their lip. She doesn't usually talk about her past, but with it waltzing around town it feels harder to bury than ever. "We loved each other." At least that's what Adora had thought before she'd been stabbed in the back. "And I wanted to make it official. So, I was saving money for it."

At the time they felt silly, saving money in a deposit box across town to buy Catra a ring when they constantly stole all kinds of jewelry. But it felt important to them for this to be at least somewhat honest, like her feelings for Catra were.

"What happened?" He asks gently.

"She left. I moved here. There isn't much else to it." She shrugs. Ultimately, it's true. Catra left her for dead and Adora picked up the pieces of who they were, the pieces Catra left behind.

"Things usually aren't that cut and dry." He says, eyes concerned.

"It was in this case " She assures even though it was anything but that. “I’m not really sure if she loved me.” She whispers in the openness of the terrain.

It’s why she’s been avoiding asking Catra why she left, wasn’t it? The thought that Catra never really loved Adora, that she was convenient and there until the right moment came for Catra to go after the things she truly wanted.

“Aw, buddy.” Bow coos as he pulls them into a fierce hug. She’s confused as to why until they realize they’re crying.

They quickly wipe the tears off their face. “I’m sorry! This is about you and Glim and how amazing it’s going to be for you two to tie the knot.” They give Bow a watery smile.

“It’s okay to feel your feelings alright? Besides, you have to help me figure out the proposal and the ring! We have space for you to feel both.” He smiles kindly and they’re struck once again by how lucky they are to have found their friends.

They only need a few missing tools from DT to finally have what they need to pull off the bank robbery. DT is their most reliable fence but also the most difficult to navigate They always had something up their sleeve. She cursed that Catra was busy—they usually left dealing with DT to her.

"Hey DT. How are you?" Adora gives them a big easy grin that usually puts most folks at ease when they talk to them.

"Hello, darling." There's something charged in DT's calculated stare that makes the hairs on the back of Adora’s neck stand up.

"I've got a list of shit I need." Adora hands the list over, watching as they hold it up and look at it. "Might be the last time you see Cat and me for a while before we settle down."

They raise an eyebrow. "I know all about your last big adventure because kitten told me." DT lowers their voice, a sly grin on their face. "But I also know you've been hiding something from her."

"I don't have secrets from Catra." They've always promised each other that no matter how many lies they told the world, it wouldn't be something they let happen between them.

"Yes, you do. I know about your safety deposit box along the way. What is it, a rainy-day fund for when kitten claws you?" They smirk as if they truly caught Adora in something.

Adora rolls their eyes. "I'm getting her an engagement ring, that hardly counts as a secret." A surprise maybe. Hopefully one she will say yes to. They almost bounce on the balls of their feet just thinking about it.

DT looks surprised themselves, clearly not expecting Adora to have an answer to their accusation. "Oh, well then. Are congratulations in order?"

"Not yet. I'm going to ask Catra once we get to our boat." They have all their arrangements set up. This time next week, they would be in the Caribbean like they always planned.

"Are you sure that's the most romantic approach? I bet Paris would be better." DT says offhand, looking down at their nails.

DT doesn't understand what this vision means for them. Adora wants to ask her to marry them when they reach their tropical destination because nothing will feel more complete than asking her as they start this new life together.

They shake their head. "I'm not interested in Paris."

DT keeps up whatever play they are making, sighing dramatically. "It's a shame because I could get one of you there. The other one could meet up later." No way is she separating from Catra for God knows how long for a place she doesn't even want to be at anyway.

They finally crack a little, giving Adora an agitated look. "Look, I could really use the boat for more pressing business and Paris is for lovers. I promise you will both get there together eventually."

Adora eyes DT. They don't trust them as far as they could throw them. She's also just completely uninterested in their offer. "Sorry DT, better luck next time. Have the list ready for me in a week, yeah?" They’re done with this conversation.

She walks out ready to rob a bank and propose to the love of her life.

She watches her back as she walks through town, feeling eyes on them that they know aren't there. It's always unsettling when they dream of DT.

She manages to reach out to multiple wholesale buyers who are willing to buy their produce, although that's usually a job for Glimmer. By the end of it, they’re dying for a Reuben and some fries so they stop at the diner.  

"Looks like you've been replaced." Mara pretends to be sad, but her eyes are shining.

Adora raises an eyebrow. "Replaced how?" She asks but then she notices what Mara has already picked up on. Starla has her eyes on Catra, hanging to her every accented word as she nods along. They roll their eyes. "Women are fickle. And honestly, I can't blame Starla for that one."

She really can’t. Catra is gorgeous as always in her tight sweater and leggings, looking like she belongs in a Hallmark movie even though it's still the fall. Catra nods amusedly at the younger woman, something nostalgic in her eyes.

“Why don’t you go sit with your girl?”

Adora shakes her head. “She’s not my girl Mara and I’d really appreciate it if you laid off of it.”

“Fine, I promise I won’t say anything embarrassing. Out of the norm anyway.” She tacks on.

Despite her protests to Mara, she makes her way to Catra’s booth and sits across from her.

Catra looks up from the menu, but her eyes are miles away. She doesn’t even greet Adora. "Do you remember when we were that young?" She asks the question as if she's afraid of the answer.

Adora looks at Starla, bubbly and carefree, working her weekends at the diner. "Yeah, I do remember." It feels like all she does these days, remember how alive she felt back then.

She stays quiet for a moment more, then looks at Adora again. “You leave the axe at home today?” She asks.

Adora looks down at her flannel and suspenders and laughs. “Yeah, no axe, just handling boring business things.”

“What’s good here to eat?” She asks curiously. Adora finds the topic changes jarring but then again she just sat down across from Catra for a second time after never intending to do it once.

“I’m having a Reuben and fries and maybe a shake if I think I can drink it all after.” She lists off. “But you can’t really go wrong, Mara runs a tight ship.”

“Reubens it is.”

Starla comes back with a bright smile and takes their orders. Once the sandwiches come in, they eat in comfortable silence.

Adora once again starts toying with the idea of asking Catra to speak alone and clear the air. It’s been almost a month and she hasn’t left. From what they gather, she paints and reads, living the life of a kept woman without actually being kept. It’s all Adora could have ever wanted for her, once upon a time.

She then notices she has two pickle spears on her plate. Her eyes zero in on Catra’s pickle-less plate. “You gave me your pickle.” They say slowly.

Catra freezes mid-fry before quickly swallowing. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.” She says but she’s blushing and looking down at her plate. It makes no sense.

Maybe it was habit? Catra always gave Adora her pickles, bitching about how slimy and gross they were and even threatening a ban on kisses if Adora ate too many.

She tries not to linger on it but on her way home all she can think of is that damn pickle and how much she just needs to talk to this woman.

"Robbing a bank isn't exactly easy, Catra," Adora says doubtfully as she looks at the blueprints.

They know the tip they got is good, they have the blueprints. The bank is changing its security company, leaving a small window of vulnerability they could exploit. But robbing banks usually make the feds come running faster than killing someone. The joys of capitalism and all that.

"Come on, 'Dor! It's a two-person job and if we get the heart of Etheria we will never have to work a day in our lives." The famous diamond is a coveted gem, an ambitious target for them given their lack of connections in the high-end jewel black market.

"We still need to find a way to get rid of it, sell it without getting caught." They point out.

Catra wraps her arms around Adora’s neck tiptoeing to give them a kiss. "We can figure that out on our yacht as we sail around." She replies flippantly.

"I thought it was a boat," Adora murmurs against her lips.

"Think big, baby." She teases back slipping her hand into Adora’s back pocket. "Adora, this would be our biggest adventure. And we could have the future that we want. We're twenty-six. How much longer are we going to wait?"

Adora sighs. "If you think we can pull it off, then I trust you. You've never steered us wrong before."

Catra kisses them more fully, so tender it could make a lesser person weep from the joy of it. “It’s going to be flawless, like that diamond we’re about to steal.”

She groans and rolls over. It’s still dark in her room and it feels like Catra’s hands are still on her. Touching them, loving them in a way they haven't felt since. She'd felt no ounce of doubt at the time, the idea of Catra betraying her so inconceivable. So why? Why would she just abandon her after they'd spent so many years together, and had risked so much?

The questions, like always, throb in her head but this time her feet move in time. On a night like this, she'd sit and think, go over every moment and try to pinpoint when Catra decided Adora was worth abandoning.

But tonight, Catra’s only a mile away.

Before they lose their nerves, Adora quickly gets dressed and walks out into the night, barreling through the darkness, only the crunch under her boots as company. She can hear Swift Wind barking in the house and she imagines Bow and Glimmer are going to be worried. But if she doesn't do this now, they don't think they ever will.

She hikes through the cold, and by the time she can see Razz's Cabin the first rays of sunlight are peeking over the horizon, painting the house in an almost bluish hue.

Adora knocks on the door without pausing. She can see the fog of her breath as she stands there, waiting for Catra to answer. The door opens a sliver, and she sees one amber eye before it closes again. Before they can protest, the door opens fully, and they realize she was undoing a chain lock.

She looks almost like the first day in the woods, shocked and a little frightened, although now she's in a pair of long pajama pants that are too big for her and a long sleeve shirt.

"What are you doing here?" She demands. "It's ass o’clock in the morning, Adora."

The petulant complaint reminds her of thousands of times trying to wake up Catra as they left behind hotel rooms, crime scenes, and pitstops in the middle of nowhere.

"I want to know why." The words just spill from her lips. It's why she's here.

Catra rubs the sleep out of her eyes. "Why what?"

"Why you left me." Adora insists. They've spent sleepless nights thinking about it, tossing and turning in their bed, followed by vivid dreams of Catra, a whole other life they've lived flying behind her eyelids. She deserves peace—at least to know.

Catra looks at them like they're stupid. "You think I don't know what you were doing? Are you fucking kidding me?" She shoves Adora angrily, trying to move past her.

Instead, Adora pushes her way in, closing the cabin door. "What I was doing? What did I do to deserve what you did to me?"

"You were leaving me!" Catra yells angrily, tears welling in her eyes. She rubs them away quickly. "I wasn't going to sit around and wait for that."

Adora feels like the floor disappears from under her. "I was what?" In what alternate reality was Catra living, to think that?

"I know Adora." She says seriously, anger bright on her face. "I know about the deposit box."

The words sink in, and she laughs loud and manic. They can't fucking believe this. "I wasn't leaving you, Catra."

Catra rolls her eyes. "What else would you need a safe deposit box with a fuckton of cash for Adora? You were going to cut and run. Don't insult my intelligence."

The anger gives her the nerve to be honest. "I wasn’t going to cut and run, Catra. I was going to propose." She tells her. "We were going to cash out and I wanted to make an honest woman out of you." 

Catra freezes, staring at Adora with wide eyes. "You're lying to me." She whispers disbelievingly, even as her eyes never leave Adora's. 

Adora slowly shakes her head. "I wish I was. How could you think, even for a moment, that I would?" She demands.

Maybe the safe deposit box looks a little sketchy but she could have just fucking asked.

"DT gave me the tip right after you fell asleep. They sent me pictures  Adora. You'd been going for months, squirreling away money, and you never told me. How could I think anything different?"

Adora groans. Of course it was DT. "Let me guess. They offered you a way to get to Paris in exchange for the boat we were taking to the Caribbean." Catra nods, her brow furrowing. "They offered me that too. They could only get one of us to Paris and they desperately needed that boat."

"They played me." Catra realizes, lips parted. "They knew I wouldn't say yes otherwise."

Adora nods, exhaustion hitting her like a ton of bricks. She suddenly feels stupid, barging into Catra’s home in the middle of the night, demanding answers they could have asked for at any time if they weren’t such a coward. "I guess I have what I was looking for." She says miserably.

Catra betrayed her because she didn't want to get hurt. It was classic Catra and Adora isn't sure how they didn't see it coming. She thought that this would be what she needs to move on but all they feel is sad.

She's about to open the door when she feels a warm hand on the sleeve of their shirt. "That's it?" Catra demands, her voice almost angry. When Adora turns around Catra is standing close, too close, within arm’s reach as she holds Adora’s wrist.

Adora stares down at her in confusion. "What more is there?" Adora has more answers than she ever thought she'd get, even if she's never felt emptier. But that’s their own mess, Catra doesn’t have to deal with that.

"What do you mean? I didn't—we didn't—it was all a mistake!" Her eyes are wide and panicked just like her grip which has shifted up Adora’s forearm.

She looks at the woman in front of her, feeling like their heart is being squeezed in a vice grip instead of her forearm. "It's been over six years Catra. What do you want from me?" The words are a desperate whine.

"I've never not loved you, Adora." She whispers the confession that makes Adora's eyes fly open. "And I've always regretted what I did. I want to make amends."

The words are too good to be true. In the dark of her room they’ve thought about it over and over but—"How can we possibly fix anything between us, Catra." They sigh.

Catra takes a careful step forward, her arms slowly coming to rest around Adora's neck. She runs her fingers over the short hairs on the nape of their neck and Adora can't help the way her eyes shut close.

"Maybe some things don't need fixing." Adora can't see her face, but she sounds so fucking hopeful and soft, Adora’s never heard anything like it.

She leans forward and opens her eyes. Catra is there, eyes steady and warm and it feels like the desert sun is at her back again, even amongst the fall chill.

She tries desperately to tamp down the swell of hope. "You can't play with me, Catra." They warn through trembling lips. They're begging really. It's not like they could stop her if she really wanted to. "I'm not who I used to be, and I have a life here. I can't let you take that."

"I wouldn’t. I don't want to." She shakes her head as she reassures Adora. "Let me know you again?"

It's in the way she asks. The Catra they know takes, demands, bulldozes over everyone and everything. Adora doesn't stand a chance at saying no to such a genuine question.

"You can know all the parts of me that you'd like." She promises, leaning down to close the distance between them.

"You're going on a date?" Glimmer clarifies as she watches Adora bounding in and out of the living room, Swift Wind at their heels just following them around.

"Yes." She says as she finds a wine opener and sticks it in their picnic basket. She and Catra had been feeling things out for a good two weeks and Adora finally worked up the nerves to ask her out.

Glimmer's expression doesn’t change, confusion still evident. "With the French woman?"

Adora stops themselves from rolling their eyes at the characterization. "Sure." They root around the fridge. "Do you think it's weird to bring cheese? Like I'm not trying to make this a French date, but we mostly have imported stuff." They fret.

Catra would probably just make fun of Adora for it. The thought makes them smile.

"Who you've never talked about to us before but randomly showed up with her nice French easel?" Glimmer pretends that Adora isn’t talking, same as how Adora ignores her words. It’s a true testament to friendship if there was one.

"Again with the easel," Adora mutters under her breath. They decide cheese is good no matter how much of it Catra might have eaten in France. She grabs some out of the fridge, along with some squeaky cheese curds.

They direct their attention back to Glimmer. "Yes, that woman. I want to take her out and show her a good time. Do I have permission mom?" They put their hands together as if praying and bat their eyelashes.

"You're a big boy, you do whatever you want." Glimmer rolls her eyes. "I'm just surprised is all. I've never seen you like this over a woman."

They stop for a moment and pull Glimmer into a hug. "I'm just excited Glim. I thought you would be too?"

"I am! Just let me get over the shock for a minute." She smiles widely. "What are you wearing? You have to make a good first impression." She says excitedly.

They snort at the idea of a first impression with Catra. But still—"Help me pick?" Can't hurt to look their best.

"So where are you taking me, my pretty mountain man?" Catra teases eyeing their flannel with interest. She’d gone with a tight black undershirt and soft blue flannel along with some white suspenders she can never wear on the farm for fear of getting them dirty. If she knows anything about Catra, it’ll likely end up in her closet by the end of the week.

"You'll see." They respond back, taking a risk and reaching out to grab Catra’s hand. She interlaces their fingers, earning a soft smile from Catra. “It’s not too far from here.”

They walk for another ten minutes until Adora gets to what she’s looking for, a little waterfall that empties out into a creek. She pulls the red blanket out of the basket, laying it down on the ground. Catra is still looking around, her eyes feasting on the natural beauty around them.

“Can we come back with my paints sometime?” She asks as she sits down.

They’re kind of sad they didn’t think about it. It’s one of the things that has changed since the last time they were together.

“Of course, this is part of our property so we can come back anytime you want.” She offers.

“So what did you end up doing? After… well, you know?” They’d discussed Catra’s leaving at length but it was never easy to discuss especially in casual conversation.  

“I tried looking for you.” They admit as they start pulling things out of the picnic basket. “Didn’t pan out obviously. It took me about a week to really convince myself that you were gone.” Catra’s leg is pressed to Adora’s and she leans in to place a sweet kiss on her lips, a silent apology if there ever was one. “Then I decided I wanted to go somewhere completely different. We’d settled on the Caribbean, I thought the mountains and cold is the farthest I could get from that. I was lucky to run into Bow and Glimmer while I was backpacking through the woods.”

It’d been a lonely time for them, constantly moving, never settling in one place. When they were with Catra it felt like an adventure, her life was full, but alone it didn’t mean half as much.

“I’m sorry.” Catra offers quietly for what feels like the hundredth time.

Adora shakes her head. “No apologies today! We are on a date. I’m sorry for bringing the mood down.” She says. “Now we have fig jam, cheese, cheese curds, and some cold cuts.”

Catra laughs as she looks at Adora’s artful display. “Is that French cheese? And wine?” She asks gleefully, looking over the mix of soft and hard cheeses. “You know just because I lived in France doesn’t mean that I only eat cheese now.”

“Shut up, you love cheese.” Adora huffs placing a soft kiss on her head. “I also brought this.” She brings out one of those horrid cheese spreads that come in a can.

Th sight of it has Catra laughing on the floor. “Adora, you didn’t!” They used to pilfer those out of markets all the time because they were easy to carry and didn’t go bad. Some days it was the only food they saw. It made for a weird mix of nostalgia once they didn’t need to worry as much about necessities. “Alright, hit me with the cheese spread so I can fully appreciate how far we’ve come when I eat the fancy shit.”

Adora can barely take her eyes off Catra long enough to pull out the crackers. Seeing her happy and open with Adora is more than she’s ever hoped for. “We have come a long way, Cat.” They say quietly, pulling her into their arms.

Catra’s gaze softens, and she tilts her head, sealing their lip together in a kiss. “Sometimes I can’t believe we found each other again.” She admits quietly.

Adora nods in agreement. She then lets her face fall into a mischievous expression. “Do you think that we could eat the whole can and not puke?”

Catra shakes her head and shoves her gently, leaning up against her again. They spend the rest of the afternoon eating, talking, and playing like children.

"Okay, I'm going to combust if you don’t get me out of these clothes and touch me." Catra pants, reaching out to unclip Adora’s suspenders, which fall onto the ground soundlessly.

They’ve been kissing for hours on Catra’s bed, neither of them making a move to undress. Adora thought about it but she’d get distracted by the way Catra tastes and would end up kissing her all over again.

"Are you sure?" She asks breathlessly. It was strange, learning Catra over again. Some things came instinctively while others were so different, that they hardly recognized her as the same person. They don’t want to rush—they want to savor who Catra is now.

Catra gives her a flat stare. "Adora. We spent most of our adult life together, you’re the love of my life and we spent the last six years apart because I'm a fucking idiot."

"Hey, don't talk about my girl that way." They rebuff, moving a stray hair back as they cup her face.

"Your girl?" She says with a raised brow and a toothy grin.

"You’ve always been my girl." They say softly. Even when she thought that Catra betrayed her for no good reason, she was never able to let go of her. She always loved her, even at a distance.

"Then take your girl to bed, please." She all but demands.

Catra squeaks as Adora lifts her, shifting her on the bed so she could take off both their shirt. She groans, gripping Adora’s bicep. "You’re so fucking ripped. This is unreal." She's just touching Adora. Running her hands up and down her arms, her abs, even reaching down and grabbing the tops of her thighs.

"You like that, Cat?" She asks as they run their lips over her jaw, looking for the sensitive spot she'd found when they were teenagers.

"Yes, I've been staring at you for that whole first month, wishing I could touch you." She gently bites one of Adora’s shoulders which makes them laugh. Catra curses. "Fuck and when you walked around town in suspenders and those shirts that were so tight, they looked like they were going to cut off your arm circulation."

"Well, maybe we can focus less on what I was wearing and more on getting me naked now." They supply as they try to undo their belt Catra’s hands quickly join them.

Catra smirks up at them. "Desperate, handsome?"

Adora doesn't even try to hide it. "You have no idea." They breathe out as they shuck their pants and turn their attention back to all the things they’ve been dying to do with Catra for years.

After that, it's a blur of orgasms and other deeper forms of emotional release that leave Adora feeling like jelly, curled up behind Catra. She's safe and warm, at home in Catra’s arms.

"What did you do while we were apart?" They ask the question they've been dying to know. They've imagined dozens of scenarios of what Catra’s done while they were apart but she never felt courageous enough to ask.

She props up her head on her shoulder, dragging her finger down Adora’s arm as she talks. "Well, you know DT got me to Paris. It's a beautiful city." Her wistful look shutters in on itself as she worries her lip. "At the time, I was absolutely heartbroken. I met a batty old man, his name is Micah. He recognized that my anger at the world was more pain than anything else. Took me in, taught me to paint."

She hesitates for a moment eyes Adora. "It was healing, painting. Let me deal with the emotions I couldn't put into words." She smirks. "The naked models didn't hurt."

Adora bites her arm in retribution. "Rude." She mutters as she nuzzles deeper into Catra’s embrace.

Catra laughs. "It's alright baby, I prefer landscapes anyway." She hums to herself. "So yeah, I worked for Micah and made some cash that way. But I missed home." The look she gave Adora broke their heart. "I thought being in the U.S. again might make me feel less... lonely, I guess? I don't know."

"Did it help?" Adora asks softly.

Catra shakes her head. "What I was missing was you 'Dor. You're my home."

"You're my home too." They bite their lip. "You know how I thought I hallucinated you the first time we saw each other?"

"Yeah, I remember." She’s now placing kisses on Adora’s arm.

"It's because I dreamt of you that night. I dream of you all the time, Cat." She says softly. "I don't know why, but I have these vivid dreams of when we were together. I think my brain just doesn't want to forget you."

She pauses her kissing to look at Adora. "Well, that's fine by me because I don't want you to forget me either."

"It would be impossible, love." She assures, gripping her closer. “You’re my heart, Catra.”

“And you’re mine.” She murmurs back sleepily.

They've made it back to a larger city and Adora could go back to wearing girl’s clothes if she wants. She isn't sure she does though. She's always felt a bit of an ugly duckling, gangly and awkward where Catra’s always been cute and short, but it's even worse when she's in feminine clothing.

"You know how when we are in the small towns I pass off as a boy?" She mentions nervously to Catra as they walk toward one of their hidden stashes.

Her dressing like a boy serves the double purpose of making it less likely that someone messes with them and making them less noticeable when they walk hand in hand for a con. No one thinks twice when a boy and a girl do it.

"Yeah 'Dor. What about it?" She asks curiously.

"I—I like it. Dressing like a boy." She spits out quickly, feeling her face flush. What if Catra thinks she’s weird for wanting to do it? They've never really talked about it before.

Catra gives Adora a small smile. "Baby, I've noticed." She kisses Adora softly and her world spins.

"Really?" She asks with wide eyes. She didn’t realize Catra could tell.

Catra nods, holding Adora’s hand close. "Of course. You light up when you wear them. It makes you happy." She says matter-of-factly like this isn’t something Adora is actively piecing together about herself.

"You don't think it's... weird?" She hesitates as she looks for a word to encompass her reservations.

Catra shakes her with a scoff. "Please. It's not weird at all. You know, we'd probably save money if you only wore boy clothes." Catra adds as she looks at Adora with a half-smile.

"Yeah, we could." Adora grins, accepting the flimsy cover Catra gave her. She should have known Catra would understand—she knows Adora better than Adora knows herself. "And you'd still love me?"

"Always, handsome." She squeezes Adora’s hand, and her heart tries to beat itself out of her chest. She's never been called handsome before, but she finds she quite likes it.

She wakes to the feeling of Catra’s legs tangled with theirs, her torso bent over as her hand goes over the edge of the bed.

"Tell your beast we aren't friends," Catra says this, but she's rubbing Swift Wind's belly, delighting in how he twitches his paw when she gets to a good spot.

"Yeah, I don't think he listens to me." She laughs. "He likes you way too much for that."

She rolls her eyes. "I didn't even do anything for his affection."

Swift Wind stares at her and presses his body closer to the mattress so Catra can reach better. "He's a dog, you don’t have to."

"Are you a dog?" She says with a smirk.

"Hey!! You do plenty for my affection!" They protest.

"Do I? I don't think I do."

"You feed me. Give me kisses. Love on me." She lists off some of her favorite things for Catra to do.  

Catra’s face softens. " I do that because I want to, baby." She leans down and gives them a kiss, pulling her close and deepening it almost immediately.

Swift Wind barks at not being paid attention to and Adora laughs, getting ready to go on a walk with him and Catra.

Adora is holding Catra’s hand out on the town, and it is as exhilarating as it is nerve-wracking. She isn't used to giving Catra affection in public when it isn't part of a con.

"Do you think you've actually forgiven me?" Her thoughts are broken by Catra’s soft words.

"What do you mean, love?" They ask as they tug her along.

"For leaving."

They inhale sharply in surprise. It's true that for a long time that wound was red and angry, a part of their heart lost forever to it. But they know Catra, know the prickly edges that make her the woman Adora loves.

"I can't say I don't wish you would have woken me up and just talked to me." They start hesitantly. "A part of me will always be sad we lost time. And it still hurts. But who knows where we would be? I can't imagine being in the sun all day doing nothing still. We probably would've run out of money and gone back to doing the same thing."

"I guess I'm just glad we are here now, and that we are leading an honest life together." They sum up.

She can feel Catra’s back tense up at the word honest but Adora doesn't say anything. Whatever Catra is chewing on, they have to believe she'll come to them, otherwise, there's no point in trying to be together.

"I could never find it in my heart to hate you  Catra. I was just hurt and angry for a long time."

They know in their bones that Catra is the love of her life. They'd rather leave the past where it belongs and find a future with her.

Catra nods slowly. "Okay."

They make their way to the diner, many of the town’s residents not even pretending to hide their pleased stare as they see Catra and Adora walking hand in hand.

"Did hell freezes over? Is that Gray with a girlfriend?" Mara yells from the cash register.

"Fuck off, Mar," Adora says easily and she wraps Catra in her arms. She looked like she belongs there.

"No way I'm going to give you shit about this until Catherine leaves you for me," Mara says with a cocky smirk.

"I somehow think Hope would have a problem with that." Adora mocks right back.

Mara has a megawatt smile as she sighs theatrically. "Maybe you're right. I wonder what the town's going to do now that we're both off the market?"

"I wasn't on the market; I'm not a slab of meat." Adora huffs indignantly.

Catra laughs and gives her a look like she begs to differ. She looks out the window. “Temps de chien. We really should go before it starts pouring.”

Catra has a point. The black clouds that were rolling in looked nasty. They’d get stuck in the diner for a while if they stayed.

“You’re not afraid of a little rain. What are you really after, Catra?” They bump her shoulder with a grin.

“I was thinking it’ll be better to get caught in the bookstore where we can read for the afternoon.”

Adora’s smile softens. “I like the way you think. You always have a plan for everything huh?”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course, handsome.”

"Would you paint me?" Adora asks one day after laying with Catra, perspiration drying on her skin from their lovemaking.

Catra eyes them for a moment. "No, but I'll draw you." She offers instead. “It’ll take less time and I can do it right now.” She groans as she gets up looking for her pencils and paper.

"Really?"

Catra rolls her eyes. "Duh, I'll draw you, Adora. What, did you think I'd be difficult about it?"

"I mean...yes." They admit with a sheepish smile. Being difficult is one of Catra’s favorite past times when the mood strikes.

She fakes a gasp as if a thought occurred to her. "You’re right, I'm totally missing out on being a dick to you right now." She shakes her head and gives Adora a kiss on her forehead, eyes more serious now. "I've stared at you for so long that I could draw you from memory. And I did when I was in Paris." She shares. Adora stares at her disbelievingly. "I'd be honored to draw you, if you'd like."

Adora nods still staring at Catra. She turns to pose with her back to Catra. Her boobs are free and hanging and they kind of don't want them in the drawing.

Catra makes a noise of disapproval. "Nuh-uh. Okay baby, I want you to sit in a way that makes you feel powerful. Don't worry about what you look like."

They bite their lip, kind of regretting her impulse decision to ask for this. Catra leans forward and kisses her deep and slow which makes Adora relax.

"That's it, baby. Remember the night in L.A.? When we went to that club?" Adora groans deep in her throat.

They'd recently turned twenty-one and it was the first time they'd ever been somewhere like that. It was also the first night Adora wore a full suit that they bought off the rack at a bargain store. She'd felt invincible that night with Catra on her arm, wearing clothes that made them feel desirable and happy.

"Oh, there you are. Come on handsome  sit pretty for me." The words make Adora’s thighs clench but instead, they spread them, leaning back against the bed with one foot propped up, the other stretched out. "Perfect. Move one arm over your head?" Catra requests gently, her pencil already moving on the paper.

She can feel themselves getting wet under Catra's intense focus, her eyes roving Adora's body with something more than lust and tenderness. Occasionally her eyes flicker down to the paper, but mostly they're on Adora while her hands move in broad, sure strokes.

They get lost looking at their love that they lose track of how long they,ve sat still until Catra’s face breaks into a smile. "It's done now. Do you want to see it?"

Adora nods, confident that anything Catra draws will be beautiful. When they catch sight of the page they gasp. It's way more than that. Catra sketched them in detail that makes their breath catch— the small birthmark on her knee, the muscles in her shoulders and legs, and the way her hair was an unruly mess.

But more than that, it's what they didn't sketch—instead of the breasts they know hang on their chest, Catra drew them with flat planes topped with pert nipples. It still manages to keep some of their softness and the nipples look like fucking carbon copies of Adora's, but the way Catra drew her chest doesn't make her cringe when they look.

It makes her feel so seen that tears trail down their face. They move the paper to make sure it doesn't get wet. "Catra. I can't thank you enough." She sniffles.

Her eyes are soft and kind as she wraps her arms around Adora holding them tightly to her. "I see you 'Dor. Even the parts of you that you haven't had a chance to be yet." 

"I'm going to make you start paying rent!" Glimmer threatens as she trips over one of Catra’s shoes.

"Please baby girl, as if you could," Catra says dismissively as she moves about the kitchen.

Something about the nickname makes Glimmer pause but Adora shrugs it off, Catra’s always been flirtatious like that. Glimmer's eyes widen. "You're American?" She all but shouts.

Catra winces in time with Adora. She’d been getting more comfortable around Bow and Glimmer. It was bound to slip at some point.

Adora steps up putting a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. "She is."

"Why would she lie about being French?" Glimmer's eyes narrow on Catra although the question is directed at Adora.

"Glim, listen. It's complicated but she's a good person. I love her." They say softly.

That gets Glimmer's attention, snapping her eyes from Catra to Adora. "Love her? It's been like three months since she moved here!"

Adora eyes Catra and decides to take a risk. "I've loved her for a lot longer than three months. The truth is, we've known each other since we were kids." It's a truth that doesn't really risk them but it's also a truth she's kept from her friend for a long time.

Glimmer’s eyes fill with understanding. "This is the girl you were planning on proposing to?"

Adora’s cheeks turn red although she knows Catra’s aware of that. "Bow is terrible at secret keeping." They can't help but sulk.

Catra goes to Adora wrapping her arms around her waist. She presses a kiss to Adora's jaw. "I've loved Adora since before I've known what love is. The rest of it is a bit complicated for both of us."

Glimmer eyes them warily for a moment. "Well, I don't really care about all your mysterious bullshit as long as you treat Adora right this time." The words are surprisingly threatening given how short their friend is.

She looks at Adora. "I promise to be good to them." She says solemnly.

Glimmer relaxes slightly at that. "Alright then." She looks at Catra with mild awe. "Your French accent is fucking amazing, you can't even tell you don't speak the language."

Catra is miffed. "Va te faire foutre, I speak French just fine! Ask Lance!"

Glimmer makes an outraged face. "I know that one! You go fuck yourself!"

The three look at one another and laugh at how stupid it all is.

"You're not half bad, sparkles." Catra concedes, as another piece of Adora’s life slots together.

Adora isn’t trying to eavesdrop but they can’t help it when they hear the tension in Catra’s voice.

"Look Micah. Of course I will, but you need to think about what you want. I can't keep secrets for you forever." Catra sounds exasperated with who Adora assumes is Micah. "Yeah, I'll get to that shipment. What kind of chump do you think I am? I just need a little more time." She pauses for a moment and lets out a huff of annoyance. "I'm not backing out, relax old man. Love you too. Send my love to Rogelio and the others."

When she finally notices Adora by the door frame she freezes like an amateur, looking like a bucket of ice water was dumped all over her.

"What was that about?" Adora asks casually, although their stomach is in knots.

"I have a job out east." She says slowly, looking at Adora's face as if she can tell how much she heard by looking at her.

"I'm assuming this isn't an art commission." Adora crosses their arms over their chest.

"Not exactly." She hedges, eyes darting about as if thinking of how to get out of the conversation.

Adora knows that look. "Catra." She admonishes.

"Come on Adora! Did you think I picked up painting for the hell of it?" She rolls her eyes. "Most people can't tell the difference between a Jackson Pollock and a canvas that had paint turned over on it by accident."

“So what? You create counterfeit art?” She always knew Catra was up to something, and she never asked her what she was doing in the art world because a part of Adora knew she wouldn’t like the answer.

Catra nods readily, coming clean. “Also, the paperwork that comes with it. Art fraud is lucrative.” She shrugs. "I was supposed to be here for a few months to check on something for Micah, then be on my way to get to this shipment. I haven’t been working at all since I got here. This is kind of a sabbatical for me."

Catra’s eyes are wide and pleading as if asking Adora to understand something. They aren’t sure what. It hits them and the pit in their gut grows bigger. "You were never actually considering staying here long term, were you?"

Catra sighs helplessly. "I'm a drifter, Adora. I don't know how to stay." She admits in a quiet whisper.

They’d never talked about Catra staying but Adora stupidly thought that was a given. They were in love and happy together, why would she leave?

Adora shakes their head, angry. "I didn't either. Knowing how to stay isn't something you're born with Catra, it's something you choose."

Catra could choose Adora. They know she could.

"I'm no good at that." She cups Adora’s cheek. "You can come with me. Things can be like they were before. You and me at the end of the world." She begs.

Adora shakes her head. "I'm not that person anymore, Cat. I thought you understood."

"But we didn't have each other before. We have each other now." Her eyes are bright, she really believes it.

She doesn't understand. "Catra, I won't do this with you. If you do this, we won't have each other again." Adora says around the knot in their throat.

They aren’t living on the run again, they've given up too much and tried too hard to let that happen.

"Adora, if you don’t want to come with me, I can come back after. You don't need to be so dramatic about this." She furrows her brow.

They shake their head. They can't imagine it, waiting for Catra for months on end hoping she's okay. Adora would end up losing her mind.

"No, Catra you might get caught, and then I’ll get caught. We're lucky to have made it out the first time. If you’re doing this job don’t bother coming back."

She looks almost betrayed. "You mean that?"

"You know I do. Just stay with me." She grabs Catra’s hands looks her in the eye and just hopes.

Catra looks away. "This is the longest I’ve stayed in one place my whole life." She cups Adora's cheek. "Even in Paris, I was constantly traveling to move shipments."

Adora covers her hand with their rough callused one. "It doesn't have to be here if you truly hate it. But I can't go back to living the way we did when we were kids."

Adora loves Catra but they have to love themselves too.

Catra stares at them long and hard. Slowly, she nods. "Alright. Give me a minute I'm calling Micah and telling him that he's going to have to count me out."

"Just like that?" They whisper disbelievingly.

Catra shakes her head. "Not just like that. I lost you for six years, Adora, I'm not losing a minute more." She places a soft kiss on Adora’s lips. "Give me a minute to call Micah?"

Adora nods, letting Catra step out. At night she falls asleep with Catra in her arms, Swift Wind's gentle snoring from the floor and the unease that everything was a little too easy.

It's so sticky in Nevada in the summer. Adora can feel the sweat running down her back, the droplets dripping down her calves.

Adora knows she's supposed to be the lookout, but it's scary knowing Catra went into that gas station alone. She has her eyes peeled on the door, watching as Catra pilfers a candy bar and sticks it in her waistband. Adora holds her breath, trying to look casual while she's dying inside, counting the steps until Catra is safe again.

Adora almost lets out a breath, Catra’s hand is on the gas station door when the hulking attendant looks at her funny and snatches her arm. Catra cries out, trying to pull her arm but this guy is at least twice her size.

Adora quickly walks into the gas station.

"Let me go you creep! I'm just a kid!" Catra yells, her voice sounds terrified.

The guy smirks down at her, clearly getting enjoyment from how scared she is. "You're a little thief! And with the way you look, I bet your probably a little—"

Adora knocks the attendant down, nostrils flaring angrily. She grabs Catra’s hand and an arm full of candy and runs as hard as she's ever run in her life. They run two streets over and into an alleyway and cower behind a dumpster.

Adora holds Catra close, and she can hear her sniffling. "Hey hey. You're okay Catra." She says softly.

"He was just so big and angry." She leans her head on Adora’s shoulder, making her heart thump unevenly. Since they turned sixteen, it had been happening a lot to Adora.

"You look out for me, and I look out for you. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other." Adora tells her, holding her in a tight hug.

Catra looks up at her, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but she smiles. She looks so beautiful and Adora can only hope that she'll always have her close, her confidante and friend.

Suddenly Catra is much closer than she's ever been before. "Promise?" She whispers even though it's the middle of the day, and the only ones who might hear her are the rats in the garbage.

Adora nods vigorously. "I promise." She's always going to look out for Catra, always going to be there for her.

She comes closer still and then Catra is pressing her lips softly against Adora's. When she pulls back, she looks nervous. Adora smiles, cups her cheek, and leans back in again, kissing her for longer.

From that moment on, every heartbeat of hers belongs to Catra.

They wake up with a soft smile on their face, nuzzling into her warm pillow. They reach for Catra, only to find the bed cold. She looks up and the covers are rumpled as if she’d left the bed a while ago. Her heart seizes in their chest, panic clawing at their throat as they look around.

"No, no, no." She chants under her breath. "Not again."

She throws on a pair of shoes and runs out of the bedroom half expecting to find her truck and maybe a few appliances missing.

"Woah, woah, where's the fire?" They hear from the kitchen. She turns and pulls to a stop at the door.

There’s Catra, barefoot with a plate full of scrambled eggs, buttering toast with a curious glance Adora’s way. They walk right up to her and haul her into a hug, toast be damned.

Catra laughs, maneuvering Adora so that she can put her food safely on the counter and then hugs the blonde back. She can't help it, she bursts into tears sobbing into Catra’s shoulder. Catra stiffens, and her laugh cuts out as she tightens her hold on Adora.

"Baby, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?" She asks softly, trying to nudge Adora’s head off her shoulder so she could look at them properly. 

"I just—I woke up and you were gone, I thought—" She blubbers trying to catch her breath. "I thought it happened again."

Catra’s eyes widen with understanding and then she pulls Adora close again fiercely. "Never again, baby. There's nothing in this world worth losing you."

"I feel guilty." She admits.

Catra is baffled. "Guilty? Why?"

"You want to be wild and free and I'm tethering you here. You don't even like the cold." They mutter miserably.

Catra lets out a small laugh. "You want to know something?"

Adora sniffles into Catra’s shoulder. "What?"

"Micah is Glimmer's dad and Angella’s husband."

"What?" Adora’s blindsided by the non-sequitur. She thought Glimmer’s dad was dead. "How?"

Catra shrugs. "It's a small, funny world. He wanted me to find them, make sure they were okay." She looks at Adora with big loving eyes. "And I ended up finding you too."

"Look Adora, you know I don't believe in fate and shit." Adora can't help but rolls their eyes. "But I can take a hint. Getting the chance to be with you again. It's worth everything."

"But you've always—" They try to protest but they feel a soft finger on their lips.

Catra tilts her head so they are looking into each other’s eyes. "What I've always wanted is you  Adora. It's never been about the sun—you keep me plenty warm. If I have to learn how to set roots I will." She has that determined look in her eye like she's going to rob somebody blind.

"I love you." Adora can't help but let out.

Catra’s smile is easy. "I love you too, handsome. Now let me choose to stay with you."

With a shaky nod, Adora holds Catra close and then kisses her. It tastes better than cocktails in the Caribbean.