Chapter Text
Chapter Ten- Visitor
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
December 10th
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was two weeks before Christmas and the start of Bow and Glimmer’s Christmas break. Adora was looking forward to seeing them in person. There were things that she wanted to discuss that she was too paranoid about to send over text or phone. Mainly… her feelings for the Catra.
It was driving her crazy… the constant wondering… she was about 80 percent sure at this point that Catra had feelings for her too… but she was too afraid of being wrong and ruining everything. Things were just so good. Catra would be starting her new job at the school after winter break… which meant that they could even carpool if they wanted to…
She digressed… the point was… she needed help. She had been looking for clues on her own, but she could admit to herself that she was not the queen of observations. She also wasn’t subtle… so trying to weasel it out of Catra was out of the question.
She needed reinforcements.
It was Saturday morning and Catra had yet to make an appearance. Adora was waiting impatiently for her friends to arrive. She was curled on the couch with Avery, both still in pajamas, watching morning cartoons when the doorbell finally rang.
“Best Friend Squad Assemble!” She cried happily as she flung the door open… and came face to face with a woman she had never seen before.
Not Glimmer. Her brain supplied helpfully.
The person on the stoop was probably a model… and if she wasn’t, she could definitely start a career as one. She was blonde and a little shorter than Adora. She wore a green peacoat, blue jeans, and warm looking boots. She also looked a little bit startled…which…given Adora’s outburst…was totally fair.
“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry! I thought you were someone else!” Adora rushed out in embarrassment.
“So I gathered. It’s a little early in our relationship to be best friends.” The other blonde said with a little laugh. She had a slight English accent, and when she smiled a dimple appeared on one cheek.
Even her laugh was pretty.
The woman on the stoop eyed her for a moment, and Adora remembered that she was still in her Christmas pajamas.
Adora had never in her life had problems speaking to a pretty girl… with the exception of Catra…who really, was the exception for everything… but she was having a surprisingly hard time forming a coherent thought around this woman.
“Um…”
“Sorry to be a bother, but I’m looking for Catra Martinez?”
“Oh… um… wait just a moment.”
The other blonde slouched in relief, “Oh good. I wasn’t sure if I’d been sent on a wild goose chase.”
She has pretty green eyes. Shit. Focus.
“Do you want to come in? I’ll go get her.”
“Thank you, that would be great.”
Adora let her guest in and went to knock on Catra’s door. The other woman greeted Avery, which sent the little girl scrambling to hide behind her mother’s legs.
“No! Sleeping!” came the grumpy response.
“Catra, there’s someone here to see you!”
“Give them one of my cards and tell them to call for an appointment!”
“Catra!”
“Adora!”
“Do I need to come in there?”
The door opened and a sleep ruffled Catra stretched. “I seem to remember you doing that once before.” She said with a laugh.
Adora’s face flamed. “Catra! You know we don’t talk about that thing that definitely never happened!”
Catra laughed. “I gave you months to get over it, now it’s fair game princess.”
“Just get out here.”
“Fine, fine. Has anyone ever told you that you’re bossy?” Catra stepped up into the kitchen in her sweatpants and tank top. She froze the second she saw who was in the living room.
“Hello Cat.”
Cat? So, this was obviously someone close to Catra… now who… oh no…
“Ashley?”
Adora’s hand froze where it had been running through Avery’s hair.
Well shit…
Ashley’s smile was a little bashful as she gave Catra a little wave. “Would it be aright if we talked?”
“Um… yeah. Sure. Just let me get dressed real quick and we can go for a walk or something?”
“Sure.”
Adora realized that she was still standing there, eavesdropping on their conversation, and cleared her throat awkwardly. “Avery and I will just…”
“It’s fine Adora, we’ll be out of here in just a sec.”
Catra went back in her room and shut the door. There was a long moment where the two blondes just looked at each other.
“Adora?” Ashley finally asked.
“Yes.”
Ashley smiled, “Interesting.”
Adora didn’t have time to question Ashley because at that moment Catra came back out. Adora noticed she was wearing the yellow beanie she had bought her when it started to get cold.
What? Catra had sensitive ears.
“Ready.” Catra stopped to ruffle Avery’s hair, “See you in a little bit kiddo.”
“Ok Catra.” Avery let go of her mother to wrap herself around Catra’s legs for a moment.
Catra moved passed Ashley and opened the door for her. “See you later.” She called over her shoulder to Adora, and then they were gone.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It had been over an hour since Ashley and Catra had gone for their walk… and Adora was freaking out. Had she royally screwed up? She had been so concerned about ruining her friendship with Catra that she had waited to reveal her feelings… but what happened now if it was too late?
Sighing she picked up her phone. Glimmer picked up on the second ring.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Are you guys here yet?”
“Not yet, we’re still a little over two hours out. We got started late and then we stopped for breakfast. Why? What’s up?”
“Ugh, everything’s a mess.”
“Did something happen?”
“Yes… no… I don’t know…”
“Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker phone so Bow can hear.”
“Hey Adora! You ok? What’s going on?” Came Bow’s concerned voice.
“Ugh! Catra’s perfect super model ex-girlfriend showed up this morning and I’m kind of freaking out…”
There is silence for a second and then Bow and Glimmer are talking over each other.
“Oh my gosh! What did she want?”- “Is she trying to get back together?”
Adora paces back and forth in the kitchen,” I don’t know… I mean… why else would she be here?”
“Um…” Bow pauses and Adora can imagine him shrugging in his seat, “I actually have nothing.”
“Ok. Ok. Let’s not panic… Where do you and Catra stand right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Adora…” Glimmer starts hesitantly, “Is this a ‘I still haven’t told Catra how I feel’ problem, or a ‘we’re together and I don’t want to lose her’ problem?”
Adora gasps and stops pacing. “W-what?”
“That’s definitely a ‘no’ to the has she told her question.” Bow says helpfully.
Adora face palms. “No…I haven’t… but how did you know?
“Oh Hunny…” Bow starts gently. “You aren’t exactly the most subtle…”
Glimmer lets out a bark of laughter. “Yeah… that. It was obvious even the last time we were there. Look… We’ll be there soon and then we can figure out a plan.”
Adora perked up. Plans… she could do plans. Plans were something she was actually good at… sort of.
“But I think right now you should give Mom a call and see if she’ll watch Avery this afternoon. It’ll be less stress for you and then we can focus on your love life.”
“Glimmer…be nice.”
“I AM being nice!”
“Ok. Ok. I’ll call her.”
“Good. We’ll see you soon! Try not to stress, the best friend squad is going to figure something out.”
“Thanks Bow. Bye guys!”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
An hour later Adora is getting back from dropping off Avery. Catra’s car is still in the drive… but she hadn’t taken it earlier, so that didn’t mean she was home… or that if she was home, she wouldn’t have company.
The blonde sat her keys down on the counter and noticed Catra’s door was open.
Ok, so she was back home then.
The blonde got to the doorway. Catra was alone and on her bed reading a book. She knocked softly on the doorframe.
“Hey Adora.”
“Hey.” She stood there fidgeting, unsure what to say next.
Catra smiled and tossed her book to the side. She sat up and leaned against the wall. “Have you come to be nosey, princess?”
Adora sputtered, cheeks warming, “What? No! I was… um…”
“I’m just teasing you, calm down. You can come in if you want.” Catra patted the spot on the bed next to her.
“Oh…ok.” Adora made her way over and sat down. “So… um… how are you doing? Do you want to…I don’t know….you know….talk about it?” The blonde finishes meekly.
Yup, still totally winning at these emotions and talking thing… not.
Catra gave her one shoulder shrug, “What am I supposed to talk about?”
“Are you leaving?” the blonde blurts out, her voice cracks halfway through and she knows she’s close to tears already because she doesn’t’ want to lose Catra again…
“Leaving? Why would I be leaving?” Catra’s nose is adorably scrunched and her brows are drawn down in confusion.
“I don’t know,” Adora starts to fidget with the cuffs of her sleeves, “I thought that maybe Ashley…” She trails off and focuses on the book that Catra was reading earlier.
There’s a soft chuckle and then her hand is grabbed gently in Catra’s smaller one. “You’re so dumb… did you think Ashley came to confess her undying love or something?” When Adora doesn’t immediately respond or look back at her Catra uses the hand not holding Adora’s to gently cup her cheek and turn it back towards her. She ducks down and catches Adora’s downcast eyes. “Adora… Ashley is on her way to visit her sister. She made a detour here to bring me some things that I left behind that she wanted me to have.” Catra looks over to the other side of the room and Adora follows her gaze. There is a keyboard and another guitar case by her desk. “She bought them, so I left them. She brought them back. That’s all. Maybe one day she and I can be friends… but that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“Oh.”
“Adora…”
“Yeah.” Her voice sounds watery and there are tears running down her cheeks for some reason.
“Even if Ashley had wanted to get back together…I’m not in love with her anymore…”
“You’re not?”
“You’re such an idiot.” Catra rolls her eyes and leans towards her.
The blonde’s heart is pounding a mile a minute, because this… this right here is 100 percent proof that Catra has feelings for her too… and she’ll be damned if she lets this slip away. She surges forward and presses her lips to Catra’s… and yeah… they are absolutely as soft as she always thought they’d be.
When she finally has to come up for air, she realizes that their positions have changed. She’s somehow ended up laying on top of Catra on the bed, their legs tangled together. One of Catra’s hands is fisted in the shirt at her back and the other is wrapped around her neck trying to pull her back in.
Catra’s eyes are shining, tears pooled at the corners but her smile is beautiful.
“I love you.” Adora says breathlessly as she swoops down to pepper kisses across the brunette’s face. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
“I love you too. I always have.” Catra pulls the blonde back down into a deep kiss.
Something warm and comforting slots into place in Adora’s chest. Home.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There is no answer when Bow and Glimmer ring the doorbell. They wait for a minutes before Glimmer grabs her phone and checks her messages. “Nothing.” She says sighing.
“Maybe she went for a walk to clear her head?” Bow suggests.
“Yeah… maybe…” Glimmer says, rummaging around in her purse. She pulls out a keyring triumphantly. “Let’s wait inside.”
“Do you think we should wait?”
“She gave us the key for a reason Bow. It’s fine.”
“Alright…” he looks skeptical, but follows Glimmer inside.
“Adora?!” Glimmer yells, looking around. There doesn’t appear to be anyone inside, but that doesn’t mean Adora isn’t napping.
“Um…Hey guys!”
Glimmer wheels around from the bedroom she was headed towards and notices that Catra’s door isn’t closed. She can’t really see in from where she is… but Adora’s voice was definitely coming from in there.
“Go away!”
And that… that was definitely Catra…
Glimmer glances at Bow. They are both smiling.
“Adora? What are you doing in Catra’s room?”
Adora’s head pops out of the doorframe. Glimmer can see her shoulders and she’s definitely only wearing a bra.
“So… haha… such a funny story… you know that thing that you guys were coming over to help with? Well…it’s not a thing anymore so…”
“So, for the love of God, please leave!” Catra hollers from somewhere still inside the room.
Adora’s face is red and her hair is deshelled. She looks pleadingly at Glimmer who is doubled over with laughter.
“Fine. Fine. But only because you said please. Have fun! I’ll bring Avery back after dinner!”
The blonde grins at her and gives her a thumbs up before ducking her head back in the door.