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The sun glinted through the window, bathing the bed in a soft orange glow. Consciousness slowly crept up on Adora, and she buried her face into her pillow to ward off the light. When she realised she wasn’t going back to sleep she let out a muffled groan and stretched.
She blinked lazily, but when her eyes finally focused on the sight in front of her, any irritated feelings melted away and a giddy happiness filled her chest.
Sometimes when she woke up she still felt like she was dreaming. The face sleeping soundly across from her seemed too good to be true. Brown skin, messy hair, floppy ears. Catra always looked so peaceful when she slept. Relaxed and open and soft. Adora loved it. It was a sight only she saw, and one she treasured.
Catra lay on her stomach, one hand under her cheek and one hand reaching across the space between them to grip Adora’s pillow. Her hair stuck out in every possible direction, not quite as long as it used to be, but just reaching her shoulders.
Adora lay there for a few minutes as she slowly woke up, watching her girlfriend with a gentle smile on her face.
But there was an anxious feeling in her chest that she didn’t understand. Everything here was warm and cozy, what was there to be anxious about?
Oh.
As her mind shook off the last traces of sleep, she suddenly remembered. Today was the day. She had a plan, she had a ring, she had the love of her life. All she had to do was propose.
A mix of excitement, longing and nervousness twisted itself in Adora’s chest as she realised just how big of a deal this is. How their lives were going to change forever after today. Unless Catra said no. Which she wouldn’t. Probably not. She might not say ‘no’ so much as ‘not yet’. Maybe she thought it was too soon. Or maybe she’d say no. They’d talked about forever, but this was a very specific kind of forever. Adora sighed, thoughts swirling around in her head.
‘You’re thinking too loud.’ Mumbled a sleepy voice from beside her.
Adora looked over at Catra in surprise. Her eyes were still closed, but there was a slight smirk on her face.
‘I didn’t say anything?’
Catra’s smirk intensified, equal parts fond and smug. She shifted forwards so their faces were barely an inch apart. ‘Doesn’t matter, I can tell.’
All of Adora’s nervous thoughts were gone in an instant, replaced with the overwhelming feeling of how insanely in love she was. She leaned over and pressed a tender kiss against Catra’s temple. Catra’s nose twitched, and her eyes squinted open, blinking against the light.
Her first sight was Adora grinning down at her, every bit of love she was feeling showing on her face. Catra groaned, hiding her face and her smile in her pillow. ‘You’re such a sap.’ She muttered, blush creeping down her neck.
‘Only for you.’ Adora said, lightly tracing the stripes across Catra’s back and making her shiver.
‘Nah.’ Catra gazed at her. ‘You’re always a sap. Just especially for me.’
Adora huffed, but didn’t dispute it. Instead she curled her arm around Catra’s waist and pulled her girlfriend against her chest. Catra nuzzled into her neck with a soft sigh.
‘Mmmmn. So, what were you thinking so loudly about?’ She asked. Adora ran her hand through Catra’s hair, her worries from before lurking in the corners of her mind.
‘Nothing important.’ She lied.
‘Sure…you know I can feel your heartbeat, right?’ Catra teased, and Adora scoffed. ‘Well- I’m here, you know? If you want to talk. Or anything.’ She hesitantly said, trying to find the right words.
Adora wrapped her arms more firmly around her. ‘I know. Thanks.’ She said, and Catra softly kissed her above her collarbone in response.
‘You’re sure everything’s okay?’ She asked, kissing up Adora’s neck and jaw until they were face to face. Adora smiled at her, a hand coming up to cup Catra’s cheek. Her nerves were still there, but now they felt more like excitement, a sort of elation that all she had to do was ask and they could spend the rest of their lives just like this.
‘Everything’s perfect.’ Adora whispered, pulling Catra down to finally kiss her lips. She can feel Catra smiling into the kiss and takes a moment to appreciate just how far they’ve come.
~
The first time she realised she was in love
There were so many buildings in the Fright Zone, warehouses and factories and training arenas. Everything was shoved together, haphazardly built on top of each other like a mismatched puzzle. It was easy to get lost in the maze of structures, but Adora and Catra had a lifetime of exploring and navigating and hiding until they knew it like the back of their hands.
One of the taller buildings had a section of roof that stuck out at an angle near the top, and it was Adora’s favourite spot in the whole Fright Zone. It was high up enough to be mostly out of the smog, it had the best view, but most importantly it was hers and Catra’s. No one else ever went up there.
Probably because no one else was crazy enough to attempt it.
Catra had found it. After an incident with Shadow Weaver, she’d been frantic to get away, to find a proper place to hide where no one would find her. She’d climbed and climbed until there was nowhere else to go. Of course Adora was the only one stubborn and reckless enough to attempt to climb after her. Catra could hear her trying to climb it and had told her to go away, to leave her alone, that she was an idiot and Catra wouldn’t be coming to save her if she fell. Adora ignored her and continued climbing. But when a rusty pipe broke under Adora’s weight and she was left dangling by one hand - Catra was there in a second, desperately pulling Adora up and shouting at her for being so stupid while simultaneously checking her over for injuries.
After that it became their spot.
Whenever they needed to get away they’d head up there (Adora hid a grappling hook nearby so she’d be more prepared. Catra called her a nerd. But she also replaced Adora’s old grappling hook with a new one she’d stolen off a Force Captain).
It was just like any other day.
They’d woken up in the morning, Catra sleeping at the end of Adora’s bed. Adora had wanted to pull her close but that was just because of how strong their friendship was.
They’d had a morning of strategy lessons. Adora had paid attention and written down everything their teacher said, Catra doodled on the corners of her pages but when the teacher called on her she always had the right answer. When the teacher turned away Catra had winked at Adora and her heart had skipped a beat, but that was just because she was worried Catra would get in trouble.
They’d had training in the afternoon. Kyle was out in the first ten seconds. Adora had come first during the weapons section, but it was between her and Catra in hand to hand combat. Catra eventually won and pinned Adora down. She’d blushed bright red, but that was just because of the exertion and because she hated to lose.
As the sun was beginning to set, Catra had asked if Adora wanted to go to their spot. Nothing unusual about that.
They climbed up together. Adora was obsessing over her training scores, and Catra climbed slower so they could talk, and she could tease Adora.
When they got to the top, they both sat on the edge, the Fright Zone stretched out below them. The warmth from the setting sun relaxed Adora, but even though the sunset was beautiful, Adora found she was only looking at her best friend.
Catra was telling a story about a prank she’d pulled on Octavia, and how she’d managed to escape by hiding in the vents. When she began to describe the look on Octavia’s face, Catra was laughing so hard, tears started to form in her eyes. Adora had always thought Catra was pretty, definitely prettier than anyone else she knew, but she was struck with just how beautiful Catra was. She burned so brightly she put the sun to shame.
That wasn’t really a surprise though.
What was a surprise was that Adora wanted to kiss her. Really, really badly.
But maybe… that wasn’t all that surprising.
She always wanted Catra close, wanted to be touching her and holding onto her, to be planning their future together. She knew she loved Catra, but maybe, somewhere along the way, that had developed into something deeper.
It wasn’t a shock, this feeling. It wasn’t like getting hit on the head during training or the water in the showers suddenly going cold. It was like the sunset. Slowly shifting, growing warmer and brighter until the sky had changed colour completely and it would never be the same again.
‘Hey, Adora?’ Catra waved her hand in front of her face and Adora jumped. Catra was giving her a concerned look and Adora blushed, wondering how long she’d been staring. ‘Are you okay?’
I'm in love with you.
Adora nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Catra gave her a look like she didn’t believe it but continued on with her story, oblivious to the fact that Adora was still staring at her lips.
~
Proposal Day
Adora would be content to spend the rest of her day (or honestly the rest of all of her days) cuddled up with Catra, but she eventually dragged them both out of bed for a meeting with the Princess Alliance.
They missed breakfast, so Catra convinced her to stop by the kitchens to get some muffins and other cakes (‘That’s not exactly a balanced breakfast-’ Adora had started, but Catra cut her off with a kiss and Adora conceded that was a pretty fair counter-argument). They arrived ten minutes late for the meeting, but they brought everyone snacks, so Glimmer just rolled her eyes at them.
Everything was normal as far as meetings went - Bow explained their plan for a new expedition further into space, Entrapta updated everyone on their efforts at Beast Island, and Glimmer discussed their statuses with the other planets they’d been visiting.
It was at the end of the meeting that disaster struck.
‘A sandstorm hit the main communication tower on planet Kariko yesterday.’ Glimmer stated. ‘We’ve managed to get a few garbled messages through, but Bow’s heading out later today to help them fix the transmissions and we need someone to go with him for a few days.’
‘Aw, do you need someone to go look after your boyfriend?’ Mermista teased and Glimmer glared at her as everyone laughed, Bow included.
‘Bow’s perfectly capable, but we’re still working on an alliance with the Karikonians, and they’ve always been a bit… standoff-ish? I wouldn’t send anyone on their own. So, any volunteers?’
‘Yeah, I’ll go.’ Catra offered.
Adora’s mind blanked out. Wait, what?
In all her planning for the proposal she’d never considered Catra straight up leaving. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe she knew she was going to propose and was trying to get away!?
In her quiet panic, Adora didn’t even notice that the other princesses had gone silent too. They all exchanged glances and looked (with no subtlety whatsoever) between Catra and Adora. Catra looked around the room in confusion.
After the moment of shock, Glimmer cleared her throat. She glanced over at Adora, but the blonde could only open and close her mouth silently and implore Glimmer with her eyes. Glimmer shuffled a few papers in front of her. ‘Oh no Catra that’s… fine. Thanks for the offer though.’
Catra raised her eyebrow at her and huffed a disbelieving laugh. ‘What? I can do it, it’s not even a hard mission. And the leader of Kariko actually liked me, remember? Their humour’s really sarcastic.’
‘Yes, that’s true... Mermista - you’d be a great choice then!’ Glimmer said over-enthusiastically, and everyone loudly agreed.
‘Uhh, sure?’ Mermista said, after Perfuma elbowed her in the side. Adora finally breathed again, but it was too soon.
Catra jumped in, waving her hands. ‘Wait, Mermista? You’re sending the mermaid princess to a desert planet?’ Her confusion was shifting to defensiveness.
There was a moment of silent awkwardness before Bow shouted. ‘Diplomacy!’ Everyone turned towards him as he nodded emphatically. ‘It would be a good move for diplomacy! And working on an alliance. We can teach them more about… the ocean?’
His idea was flimsy at best but the other princesses latched onto it and praised its brilliance.
‘Alright, it’s settled. Mermista can go on the mission. Thank you Catra, but there’s plenty for you to do here.’ Glimmer stated loudly, and quickly moved onto other business.
Catra slumped back into her seat with her arms crossed. She leaned close to Adora. ‘What the hell was that about?’ She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
Adora jumped but tried to look innocently confused. ‘What was what?’ She whispered back.
‘Me not being able to go on the mission! And everyone being super weird.’ Catra looked a little hurt and Adora felt a stab of guilt, being the reason Catra was upset. Hopefully tonight made up for it.
She reached out and put her arm around Catra. ‘I’m sure it’s nothing.’
Catra sighed but relaxed at Adora’s touch. Adora was just thankful she was still here. She guessed it wouldn’t be a complete disaster if she didn’t propose tonight, but it would definitely put a dent in her plan and her confidence.
What she said got Adora thinking though… why was everyone being super weird? Bow and Glimmer knew about her plan, she’d been desperate for some help to make sure she didn’t mess anything up, but all the other princesses were acting just as un-subtle as her two best friends were.
Bow and Glimmer pointedly ignored her gaze for the rest of the meeting, and she decided they needed to talk. But when the meeting finished Scorpia came over to them before she had the chance.
‘Hey guys!’ She said brightly, wrapping them both in a hug.
‘Hey Scorpia.’ She and Catra said in muffled unison.
Scorpia let them go, but kept a claw on Catra’s shoulder. ‘I’m really sorry you didn’t get the mission, Catra. Not sure what that was all about. Anyway, I wanted to invite you both to dinner! It’s been ages since we did a double date, do you two wanna come back to Plumeria with Perfuma and I?’ Her expression was sweet and open, but Adora felt her stomach sink right to the floor.
What was it with today?
‘Oh, Scorpia, you shouldn’t have.’ She said, trying to smile while gritting her teeth.
‘That sounds great, Scorpia, thanks!’ Catra slapped her friend on the shoulder, grinning.
Luckily, Perfuma walked over, serene as always. ‘Hello! How’s everything going?’
‘Great! Catra and Adora are coming to dinner tonight.’ Scorpia said excitedly, and Perfuma’s smile froze on her face.
‘Tonight!?’ Her voice cracked, any trace of serenity being replaced with agitation. ‘But, Scorpia, my flower, tonight’s… that thing.’ She said pointedly, staring at Scorpia so intently it was like she was trying to communicate just with her thoughts.
Oh yeah, she definitely knew.
Scorpia frowned, trying to understand. ‘That… thing.’ She repeated, and Perfuma nodded.
‘Yes! That thing, that’s very important, which means we can’t have dinner and we need to leave these two at Brightmoon.’ Perfuma insisted, and Scorpia finally caught on.
‘Oh! That’s tonight?’ She whispered, Perfuma nodded and Scorpia nodded in understanding. She turned back to Adora and Catra. ‘Sorry, but we can’t do dinner tonight....because Perfuma and I are busy. Very busy. We’ll definitely rain-check on dinner though, I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about!’ Perfuma was already leading her girlfriend away, giving an apologetic glance at Adora. ‘Alright, love you guys, have a good night!’ Scorpia called, winking at them.
Catra watched them go, frowning. ‘Am I missing something?’ She asked.
Adora shook her head. ‘You and me both. I’ve got to talk to Glimmer and Bow, I’ll see you later?’
Catra nodded and gave her a peck on the cheek as a goodbye.
Both Glimmer and Bow had disappeared from the room the second the meeting was over (literally, Glimmer teleported them out) but Adora found them back in their room, huddled together and talking in hushed tones.
The second the door shut behind her, they both jumped, heads whipping around to stare at her before they put on identical, unconvincing smiles.
‘Oh, Adora! What are you doing here?’ Bow said, too loudly.
Adora raised an eyebrow. That’s all it took before her best friends began talking over each other:
‘We’re really sorry-’
‘We didn’t mean to tell-’
‘I only told Sea Hawk!’
‘But it was so romantic-’
‘And everyone was so excited’
‘But we’re still sorry-’
‘So sorry!’
‘We just want you both to be happy!’
Adora couldn’t help but laugh. She was still a little annoyed that everyone seemed to know about her plan, but her friends meant well and their distress made it clear they really were sorry, so she didn’t really have it in her to be mad.
‘Look, it’s okay. As long as Catra doesn’t find out. Only thing is, if she says no, everyone knowing will be pretty awkward.’ She said, sort of jokingly.
Glimmer and Bow looked from her to each other in a silent conversation.
‘Adora, I love you. But that is the most insane thing you’ve ever said.’ Bow said gently.
‘And that’s including your “on the go” snack of eating rice as trail mix and drinking boiling water.’ Glimmer chuckled. ‘Of course she’s going to say yes.’
Adora fiddled with the hem of her shirt. ‘You think?’ She asked, feeling a lot more vulnerable than she wanted.
‘Definitely!’ Bow said encouragingly, the same moment Glimmer scoffed, ‘Obviously!’ They got up and wrapped their arms around her in a group hug.
‘You’ve got nothing to worry about. She’s going to be so happy!’ Bow cried. ‘You’ll have to tell me all about it when I get back!’
Adora hugged them both back, easily lifting them both up in the air. ‘I will! Good luck with your ocean-related diplomacy.’ They all laughed and she put them back down. ‘Glimmer, you’re still good to help me later?’ She asked.
‘Absolutely, whatever you need.’ Glimmer nodded.
‘Yeah, she’s a romance expert.’ Bow said, winking, and Glimmer blushed and slapped him on the arm.
‘Alright, well I’d better go start setting up.’ Adora said, excitement starting to overtake nerves again. ‘Can you just keep an eye on Catra, make sure she doesn’t disappear to the other side of the galaxy or something?’
‘Yep, I’ve already got something planned.’ Glimmer said slyly.
‘Good luck!’ Bow said, obviously trying not to cry. Her best friends gave her one last hug.
She left, wanting plenty of time to create the perfect romantic setting. Luckily, she’d already chosen the perfect spot.
~
After the war was over
The day after defeating Horde Prime was a whirlwind. The whiplash between the fear from mere hours beforehand turning into joy as everyone began celebrating was a lot to take in.
Glimmer had led them off the battlefield to reclaim Brightmoon, citizens from all over Etheria joined them on their way and the castle became ground zero for a massive victory party.
Adora felt like she was walking around in a daze, everyone was congratulating her and hugging her and praising her. Thoughts kept swirling around her mind, relief at the threat finally being over, terror at just how close she’d come to dying, and hope as she saw a future stretching out before her - it was completely overwhelming. When everything started to sink in she just sat and cried (and was of course held in a giant group hug).
And somehow, despite the fact that she’d overthrown a millennials old space tyrant, the most surreal part of the day was Catra.
Catra who’d come back for her.
Catra who loved her.
Catra who’d kissed her, even as the world was falling apart around them.
In all the chaos they hadn’t had much time together since it had happened, being pulled apart by friends or well wishers. But no matter what Adora was doing, her eyes kept finding Catra in the crowd. And as much as she loved parties, as the day stretched on she couldn’t help but feel restless.
All she wanted was to hold Catra close, to tell her all those things she’d always tried to keep hidden, and to kiss her more times than there were stars in the sky (and there were now a lot).
When night began to fall and the party showed no signs of stopping Adora decided enough was enough. Catra was finally here in Bright Moon, they were safe and happy and in love with each other and she was going to do something about it. She dodged another group of people looking for She-Ra and headed across the ballroom to find Catra.
She passed Spinerella and Netossa twirling around the dancefloor, Micah and Castaspella talking and hugging, and Perfuma chasing Frosta away from the snack table while Mermista laughed. Adora felt a calmness as she saw her friends - her family - safe and happy.
Eventually she found who she was looking for. Sea Hawk was leading a dramatic retelling of the final battle to a group of awed civilians and Scorpia. Catra stood on the outskirts of the group, expression somewhere between confusion and amusement.
Adora tried to make her way over as unobtrusively as possible, but before she knew it a pair of blue and yellow eyes were already on her. Adora felt her heart rate rise as Catra’s expression softened at the sight of her, and she wondered whether Catra had been watching her throughout the day too.
Catra raised an eyebrow at her in question and Adora blushed as she realised she’d stopped in the middle of the party to gaze at her… her what? Girlfriend? Best-friend-who-was-also-in-love-with-her? They hadn’t exactly had much time to chat after the failsafe had activated. Guess that was something they should talk about. Adora shook off her thoughts and gestured to a small door leading off the ballroom they were in. Catra nodded when she saw it and slipped away from the party-goers towards it.
Adora tried to hide her smile as she rushed after her, but in a totally casual and covert way. When she reached the door, she did a quick glance over the ballroom - an old habit drilled into her from years of combat. She noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye - Bow and Glimmer were waving frantically at her, laughing and whistling.
‘Go get her!’ Glimmer yelled, nearly toppling over in her excitement. Bow put his arm around her to steady her.
Adora wanted to be annoyed or embarrassed at their very public antics - but she only felt a rush of happiness at how carefree her best friends looked, wrapped around each other and wishing her well. She rolled her eyes at them, but grinned and waved back as she went through the door.
The door shut behind her, blocking out the light and noise, and Adora blinked as the darkness came into focus. She was in a small hallway leading away from the ballroom, the walls were dotted with tiny flickering lanterns, illuminating a slight and very familiar figure leaning off to the side.
‘Hey, Adora.’ Catra said, nodding at her in a casual kind of way, but her tail flicked uneasily beside her. Adora felt relieved she wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. They’d crossed such a huge line earlier, things were going to be a little awkward while they adjusted to the other side.
But Adora’s excitement at being finally alone with Catra meant she didn’t have any time for the cool aloofness Catra was trying to portray. She stepped forward with a smile and took Catra’s hand. ‘Can I show you something?’ She asked.
Catra’s collected attitude vanished in an instant as she blushed deep enough that Adora could see it even in the dim lighting. ‘Um, sure.’ Catra whispered, sounding slightly strangled. Adora grinned and pulled her forwards, leading her down the hall with quick steps.
As they walked, Adora tried to think of something (anything) else to say, but the feeling of Catra’s hand in hers was very distracting, and the two made their way through the castle in silence.
The hallway led them into the main entrance, the sounds of the party could be heard nearby, but Adora knew where she was now and led them down a corridor in the opposite direction. As they passed murals and designs she noticed Catra slow down slightly to take it all in.
‘They’re beautiful.’ Catra said, her voice hushed, as she admired a portrait.
Adora excitedly seized the conversation starter. ‘Yes! Definitely. When I first saw all these I was surprised there were artists out there that were better than us.’ She joked, but Catra didn’t laugh.
‘It must be weird, me being here, huh?’ Catra murmured, and Adora stopped, surprised at the question. Her first instinct was to shout ‘No!’ but she considered her words carefully.
‘Honestly, yeah a little.’ Adora admitted, and Catra’s head dropped as she stared at the ground. ‘Although to be fair it’s been a pretty weird day.’ Catra snorted, but she didn’t look up to meet Adora’s gaze. Adora squeezed her hand.
‘It was really weird when I first came here. Everything was so different and fancy and soft. I kept going to comment on stuff I thought you’d like or that you’d find funny, but then you weren’t there. That was the weirdest part. I always wanted you to be though.’ She said gently, placing her hand on Catra’s shoulder. The other girl relaxed under the touch, looking up to smile shyly at her, and Adora’s mind whited out and she started to babble as her nerves reared up again.
‘And now you are here! Which is great. I mean, better than great, you’re all I’ve ever wanted - you being here- is all I’ve ever wanted…’ A blush was rising on her cheeks, but Catra’s smile only grew, so Adora figured she couldn’t be doing that badly.
She sighed and began pulling Catra along. ‘That’s actually what I wanted to show you. I had a bunch of places I thought you’d like, I’d planned out a whole tour for when you joined the rebellion.’ She confessed with a laugh, and Catra gaped at her.
‘You did?’ She looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and Adora nodded. ‘What kind of places?’
‘Ah, well in the gardens. The Horde didn’t have many flowers… and then there’s the weapons room. I thought you’d get a kick out of that.’ Catra did laugh this time, and Adora grinned at her, completely smitten as she stopped them in front of a bronze door with stars painted on it. ‘And here.’ She pulled the door open with a dramatic flourish, revealing a set of spiral stairs leading directly upwards.
‘Come on!’ She grabbed Catra’s hand again and began running up the stairs, her excitement at finally showing Catra overtaking her. Catra laughed at her enthusiasm, but became confused as the stairs kept going… and going… and going.
Finally they came to the last flight and Adora stopped suddenly as they reached a door, Catra nearly crashing into her from behind.
‘Adora, where the hell are...we?’ Catra started, but her words trailed off when Adora opened the door and a cool breeze whisked past them. Adora gestured for Catra to go first, eyes shining with excitement.
Catra stepped out and gasped.
They were on a landing hundreds of feet in the air at the top of the tallest tower. Castle Brightmoon stretched out below them, the faint noise from the party being almost drowned out by the waterfall behind them. A sea of stars sparkled above them, lighting up every direction - the village lights twinkling below, the mountains bathed in moonlight, and the forest shifting in the breeze.
Catra stared in awe, her hands unconsciously coming up to cover her mouth as she took it all in. Adora watched her earnestly, hoping she liked it. Eventually Catra looked back at her, eyes bright and face beaming.
‘Oh my god.’ She whispered. ‘This is incredible!’
Adora let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding and stepped over beside her. ‘You like it?’
Catra scoffed, some of her usual cynicism showing. ‘Do I?’ As she stared out at the view, she couldn’t help but smile again though. ‘I love it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful.’
As Adora stared at Catra, admiring the way the light danced across her face, she couldn’t help but agree.
She led them over to the ledge, where a golden banister separated them from the drop. She’d been up here enough that it didn’t bother her, and Catra had always had a head for heights, so she wasn’t worried. Sure enough, Catra just leaned against the railing and took a deep breath as she gazed out into the night.
Another cool gust of wind washed over them and Catra shivered.
‘Are you cold?’ Adora asked.
Catra shook her head. ‘M’ fine.’ But Adora was already shrugging her jacket off. She gently wrapped it around the other girl’s shoulders. Catra’s eyes were on her the entire time, a blush dusted against her cheeks, but after a moment she put her arms through the jacket and pulled it around her.
Adora’s breath hitched, the sight of Catra wearing her jacket sure was something. ‘Uh, is that better?’ She asked, voice scratchy.
‘Yeah, thanks.’ Catra hid her smile in the collar of the jacket, breathing it in. ‘It smells like you.’
‘Oh, sorry.’ Adora muttered, but Catra shook her head.
‘No, no. It’s nice.’ She murmured, looking up at Adora with a look that was so soft, Adora felt like she could melt right into the ground. ‘Thank you, for bringing me up here.’ She whispered.
They were standing close, much closer than they needed to be. Catra’s arm was pressed against hers, and Adora could feel her tail brushing against her leg.
‘You’re welcome.’ She took a breath, trying to plan out what she wanted to say. ‘I- I always wanted to bring you up here. When I found this place, it reminded me so much of our old spot back in the Horde. Or well, it’s nicer and prettier and cleaner, but- still. It made me miss you a lot.’ She admitted. Catra had gone still beside her, she could feel her gaze on her like a physical weight, but she pushed forwards.
‘But I’m so glad you’re here now. And I was thinking, maybe, this could be our new spot? I know it’s different, and it’ll take some getting used to, but it could also be the start of something new?’ She rushed out, nervous and hopeful. She finally looked at Catra, and the knowing expression on her face meant she knew Adora was talking about more than just their spot.
‘I’d really like that.’ Catra said, slipping her hand into Adora’s, and Adora felt her heart soar.
She wanted to kiss her, by Greyskull did she want to kiss her, she even started to lean in before she hesitated, biting her lip. This was all so new, she didn’t want to mess it up, or go too fast. ‘Is this- do you?’
‘What?’
Adora sighed, staring at their hands. ‘Can I- can I kiss you?’
Catra laughed breathlessly. She seemed extremely amused but also completely smitten. ‘Of course you can, idiot. Any time you want.’ Her voice caught at the end.
Adora didn’t need any more encouragement, she leaned in, gently pressing their lips together. She felt Catra sigh into the kiss and push back, soft and slow and sweet.
Eventually Adora pulled back, just slightly, and pressed their foreheads together. ‘I love you.’ She breathed.
Catra let out a whine and threw her arms around Adora’s neck, pulling her back in for a much fiercer kiss, and Adora laughed into it. When they pulled apart Catra gazed up at her with so much love in her expression it left Adora breathless. ‘I love you too. So much.’ She whispered.
‘I almost can’t believe you do, feels like I’m dreaming.’ Adora admitted quietly, and Catra shook her head.
‘Then you’re even more oblivious than I was.’ She smirked and Adora rolled her eyes. Catra’s expression turned thoughtful as her hands traced over the panes of Adora’s face. ‘I always thought you knew…’
‘No! Obviously not. I would’ve kissed you a long time ago.’ Adora cried, much louder than their whispers and Catra laughed, bright and loud. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Adora’s neck.
‘Mmm, guess we have a lot of time to make up for then.’ Catra said slyly, pulling her closer.
‘We’ve got all the time in the world.’ Adora said, hope filling her chest as she saw a future of nights just like this stretching out before them. Catra answered her with a kiss, and Adora’s heart felt fuller than it had in a long time.
~
Proposal Day
Turns out making the perfect romantic atmosphere takes a lot of work, especially when you have to climb twenty-odd flights of stairs with the supplies. After the first trip Adora changed into She-Ra, figuring true love was as much reason as any to use her powers.
(She’d used them for much more trivial things in the past anyway, like seeing if she could carry Catra around for a full twenty four hours, or backflip off a mountain. This was pretty tame in comparison.)
After many trips, about an hour of setting up, and using every match she could find on a hundred or so candles, she was happy with their spot. Having something physical she could do, something she could work towards, had distracted her from her anxieties.
Now that she was done she felt fidgety and worried. Usually when she felt like this she’d go and wrap Catra’s arms around her, which her girlfriend was always ready for, even in the middle of a meeting or ball. Adora never felt safer than when she was in Catra’s arms. But she felt like if she saw Catra now, she’d give everything away.
She had a little time before she needed to start making dinner, so the paranoid planner within her decided to double check on her outfit for the night and the ring. In case they’d both simultaneously combusted since that morning, she’d have some time to find a back up.
Of course when she got to their room, she found her suit pressed and hidden in the back of the wardrobe, and the ring safely tucked away in her desk in a hollowed out book. She wasn’t worried that Catra would find it, she’d long ago declared that reading wasn’t worth her time.
But when she went to put the ring away, a soft click reached her ears, and she whirled around to see Catra opening the door and walking into the room with Melog.
Catra’s face lit up when she saw her, completely unaware of Adora’s panic as she gripped the ring box behind her back.
‘Hey! I’ve been looking all over for you.’ Catra started, coming into the room and collapsing on the bed, Melog joining her. ‘I’m exhausted, Glimmer had me spend the whole morning with Castaspella. That woman can talk! At least she’s teaching me how to knit, yarn’s pretty fun.’
Trying to hide her panic (and the ring), Adora cried out, ‘That’s great!’ It was a lot more enthusiastic than she’d usually be about knitting, but Catra didn’t seem to mind.
‘Yeah. But everyone has been so weird all day! They keep giving me these looks and whenever I walk into a room everyone stops talking.’
Adora was slowly moving across the room to the door, keeping her front to Catra with the box clutched behind her. ‘Maybe you’re just especially beautiful today?’
Catra huffed. ‘Thanks, but I think it’s more than that. Have you noticed anything?’
Adora cursed all her friends for being so obvious, she didn’t want to lie to Catra but she also didn’t want to propose right now, the thought actually made her feel dizzy with anxiety. ‘People always love gossip, I’m sure everything’s fine though.’ There, that was completely the truth. Hopefully Catra could laugh about it with her later.
‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ Catra hummed, but when she sat up her face was serious. ‘But my reputation of being uncaring, intelligent and dangerously attractive is very important to me. Let me know if any gossipers are threatening that, okay?’
‘Of course.’ Adora snickered. ‘Although for the record, you can’t throw everyone you disagree with off a cliff.’
Catra scoffed. ‘I’m far too mature for that now. I’ll just have my super-powered girlfriend do it for me.’
Adora laughed, all her worries starting to melt away in Catra’s presence. She almost forgot the somewhat perilous situation she was in.
That was until Catra asked, ‘Wait, are you leaving?’
Adora froze, a few steps from the door. The ring felt very heavy in her hand. ‘Ye-es?’ Adora said unconvincingly.
‘I thought we could spend the afternoon together?’ Catra asked hopefully, and Melog meowed in agreement. ‘Maybe do some sparring? Or just hang out.’
‘Thanks, but I’m sorry, I’m actually pretty busy…’ Adora muttered, shuffling closer to the door and trying to ignore how cute Catra looked with her big, imploring eyes.
‘Oh. That’s okay, I could help you-’
‘No!’ Adora shouted. Catra blinked, clearly hurt, before her face became carefully blank. Melog was much easier to read, with their ears drooping and tail puffed. ‘Sorry, no. It’s… private? Maybe Frosta can train with you, you know she’s always looking for a challenge.’ Adora offered, keeping her tone light even as she was feeling guilty.
Catra nodded, but she wouldn’t meet Adora’s eyes. ‘Yeah, maybe.’
Adora had finally reached the door, but hesitated before leaving. ‘I really am sorry. I-’ She didn’t want to give too much away but she also didn’t want to leave Catra upset. ‘I promise I’ll tell you about it tonight?’ She offered, and Catra’s ears flicked as she looked up curiously.
‘Alright.’ She said, clearly intrigued.
Adora suddenly realised this could be the last time she could see Catra before she was proposing. Nervousness and affection filled her veins, and without a second thought she crossed the room, cupped Catra’s cheek and kissed her. Catra made a surprised noise, but kissed her back with ease.
When they pulled apart Catra raised her eyebrow, smiling again. ‘What was that for?’
Adora kissed her once more, and quickly began to back out of the room, ring still hidden behind her. ‘I just love you a lot!’ She called as she left.
‘And you’ll tell me why you’re being even weirder than everyone else tonight!’ Catra called after her. It wasn’t a question.
‘Absolutely!’ Adora agreed. Once she was safely out of sight in the hall, she took off in a run, knowing she’d narrowly avoided ruining the surprise. She slipped the ring into her front pocket, safe and secure.
She headed to the kitchens to make Catra’s favourite meals. Glimmer was there, ready to help make mandu - the first meal Catra had on Mara’s ship. As they worked, Adora explained her run in with Catra in their room.
‘Wait, so she already knows something’s up?’ Glimmer asked.
‘Oh, definitely. I’m surprised she hasn’t said anything before, I’m a terrible actor.’
‘Well everyone knows that.’ Glimmer teased, and Adora threw flour at her. ‘But isn’t that going to sort of ruin the surprise? When I tell her to go and meet you at your spot, she’ll know it’s something important.’
Adora thought that over. ‘I guess. She won’t know exactly what it is though.’
‘What if I told her she had to go up there for something else. Like there was an emergency or you were sick or something?’
‘That’s not a bad idea. If you told her there was an emergency she’d probably show up with a laser canon though, firing first and asking questions later - go with the sick one.’ Adora said, and Glimmer sighed dramatically.
‘I can’t believe you two are getting engaged! It feels like just yesterday you were trying to kill each other.’ Glimmer said fondly and Adora scoffed. ‘I’m serious though. You’ve come so far. I’m so happy for you both.’ She wrapped her arms around Adora and hugged her.
‘Thanks, Glimmer.’ Adora whispered, hugging her back. ‘And thank you for all your help with this. When you and Bow get engaged let me know what I can do.’ She said with a wink. Glimmer blushed bright red, but she was smiling.
Once they were done, Adora carefully packed up the food - ‘You know applesauce isn’t really a desert right?’ Glimmer asked and Adora shushed her, insisting it was Catra’s favourite - and took it up the tower. She refused to teleport the food, wanting everything to be perfect and scared that teleporting would somehow mush it all. Glimmer went along with it because she could tell how nervous her best friend was.
After the food was set up, Adora did concede for them to teleport back to her room. The sun was starting to dip in the sky and Adora quickly got changed to make sure she was ready for sunset.
When she walked out from behind the privacy screen Glimmer gasped.
‘Adora, you look amazing!’ She squealed, almost jumping up and down in excitement.
Adora walked over to the mirror and inspected herself, she looked pretty good. She was wearing a white suit, with a red, gold trimmed cape. She’d been inspired by the vision she’d had at the Heart of Etheria, wanting something that felt like it represented both her and Catra. And the thought of that possible future filled her with a sense of calm and happiness.
Glimmer helped her with her hair, she let it down at the back but kept it pinned up at the top. She put the ring box in her suit pocket, and she was done.
They teleported back to the tower, and Glimmer gave her hand a squeeze. ‘You ready?’ She asked.
Adora tried to breathe. ‘As I’ll ever be.’
Glimmer teleported away. The second she was gone, Adora began to pace. She went over her speech, everything she wanted to say, exactly how she’d react if Catra said no (oh please don’t let her say no).
After a few minutes, Glimmer appeared back with a pop! She grinned at Adora, all excitement. ‘She’s on her way!’ She took in Adora’s tense posture and her smile faded into something more sympathetic. ‘Do you want me to wait with you?’
Adora shook her head. ‘Thanks, but I need to do this myself.’
Glimmer threw her arms around her in a hug with enough force to topple them off the tower, luckily Adora was used to her friends’ enthusiasm by now and steadied them both. ‘Good luck! I love you!’ Glimmer said.
‘Love you too.’ Adora whispered, and with one last encouraging smile, Glimmer was gone.
Adora took a deep breath, double checked she had the ring, and stared at the door, waiting for Catra to appear.
~
The moment she knew she wanted it to be forever
When Adora had first found out about marriage, she’d thought about Catra.
After George and Lance found out about Bow being a part of the rebellion, she could drop her schõlar act (which she’d thought was very convincing). She could also finally ask what ‘husband’ meant. Bow’s dads were surprised at the question, but after the ex-Horde-soldier explanation, they easily explained how ‘husbands’ were people who were ‘married’.
Which led to a whole lot of other questions.
It turned out in Etheria - when you found a person, or sometimes persons, who you loved and who you wanted to spend your life with - you could get married. Which meant you would have a ceremony, where you would stand up in front of the people you know, and vow to be with your chosen partner forever.
So of course she thought of Catra. The only person she’d ever thought about a forever with. They’d spent their teenage years planning their future, how they’d rise the ranks of the Horde and take over the world. Just the two of them. That sounded a lot like a married partner.
Except Catra didn’t love Adora like that. Catra didn’t love Adora at all anymore. Catra was Hordak’s right hand, doing everything in her power to conquer Etheria. She wasn’t someone to imagine any kind of future with.
But Adora couldn’t get the image out of her head.
And after the years of fighting, forgiving, working together and dramatic confessions underneath a giant exploding weapon, the idea didn’t seem so crazy anymore.
Catra loved her. Wanted to be with her. Whispered the words ‘forever’ and ‘always’ and planned a new future, one where they were free and happy.
Adora wanted to marry her. She always had, but now there was a real possibility that she could. But she didn’t know how to bring it up. Did Catra even know what marriage was? The Horde never told her, but Scorpia seemed to know, so maybe it was something they taught in Force Captain Orientation. And even if Catra knew what it was, what would she think about it? She’d never been one for tradition, or for publicly sharing her feelings. She might hate the whole idea or think it was stupid.
Turns out, Adora never had to find a way to bring it up, Catra did it herself.
Members of the Princess Alliance had just returned to Etheria after a lengthy mission across some nearby galaxies to restore magic to the different planets. Mermista had thrown a welcome back party in Salineas, she said it was because she was bored, but Sea Hawk said it was because she missed everyone.
They were sitting around a campfire on the beach. Bow was playing his lute, Perfuma had brought a berry juice that made everyone relax and act a lot more giggly, and Entrapta set off a new invention that she called ‘fireworks’. They were all chatting, easy in each other’s company after all this time. As the night crept on, they started to think about heading back to the castle when Spinerella clapped her hands.
‘Oh! I almost forgot. Now that you’re all back, we wanted to make sure to invite you all.’ She grinned and took Netossa’s hand. ‘Our five year wedding anniversary is next month, and we’re having a party!’
Everyone congratulated them, but Catra blinked in sleepy confusion.
‘Wait, anniversary of what?’
‘Our wedding!’ Netossa grinned, but Catra’s confusion didn’t abate.
‘And that is…?’ She looked over at Adora, a question in her eyes, and Adora blushed.
‘It’s, uh, well-’ She started, heart pounding, but Netossa interrupted.
‘I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.’ She said with a slight laugh.
‘No, Adora didn’t know either. They don’t tell you about it in the Horde.’ Glimmer said, muffled from where she was tucked into Bow’s side.
‘But Scorpia already knew about marriage.’ Perfuma was the one who was confused now.
‘Oh, you two have been talking about it?’ Mermista teased, and Perfuma and Scorpia blushed as everyone whooped.
Scorpia waved them off with a smile, but turned to her feline friend. ‘Really, Catra, you don’t know?’ She asked gently.
‘Wait, but how did you know?’ Adora asked her, bewildered.
‘My moms were married!’ Scorpia said excitedly.
‘Alright, if everyone’s done, can someone please tell me what we’re talking about!?’ Catra cried out, tail bristled and ears down. She always hated being left out of things. Melog meowed beside her, and everyone quietened down, working out how to explain it.
Perfuma, ever the peacemaker, spoke first. ‘A wedding is a ceremony where people get married. And marriage is where people vow to be true to one another forever!’ She said dreamily.
Catra’s tail and ears relaxed, but her expression showed that she was still confused.
‘And by “true” she means dedicating yourself to the person you love, but like, in public and in front of your family and friends.’ Bow added.
‘I’ve read that different places have different customs, but someone important and authorised usually oversees the ceremony so it’s all official.’ Entrapta explained, already recording the conversation on her tape recorder.
Spinerella nodded. ‘Yeah, there’s this whole process. One of the partners will ask the other to marry them with a ring, like Netossa did with me, and then at the wedding you exchange something important.’
Netossa grinned at her wife, her hand coming up to touch the jewelry around her neck. ‘Spinny and I exchanged necklaces.’
‘And vowed to be each other’s wives. Or people can be a spouse, or a husband. Whatever term they want.’ Spinerella supplied, looking back at Catra with a smile.
Catra had watched the entire conversation with wide eyes, and Adora had spent the entire conversation watching Catra. Her heart was pounding, looking for any signs of what Catra thought about it all. But she couldn’t see any clear expression on her girlfriend’s face.
Adora was a little annoyed too, everyone was going on about it being official and a process, but there was something important that seemed to be getting lost in the explanation. What Adora considered to be the most important thing about marriage, actually. And she wanted to make sure Catra knew it. Just so she got the whole picture. (Not because she might be forming an opinion on marriage that may or may not determine their future. Obviously).
‘And once they’re married, the partners spend the rest of their lives together.’ She said quietly. The first real words she’d said since Catra had asked.
Catra turned to look at her, eyes shining. And Adora felt her heart stop. Because Catra didn’t look like she hated the idea. There was something in her gaze, something longing and sweet, something that filled Adora with hope.
When she found out about marriage, she’d thought of Catra. And by the look on Catra’ face, she was thinking of her.
Everyone continued to talk around them, but Catra only turned her blinding gaze away from Adora when she heard her name.
‘Catra, I have a digital record of my studies on the practice, if you wanted to read that over. For broader information on the subject.’ Entrapta offered, a little hesitantly.
Catra smiled at her though. ‘Sure, thanks.’ Her voice sounded scratchy, but no one but Adora seemed to notice, and Entrapta’s face lit up with a smile at the chance to share her research.
Adora barely slept that night, so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the absence of Catra’s soft snores next to her. By the time the morning sky was lightening, she’d made her decision.
It was just as the sun was rising when she burst into Bow and Glimmer’s room. They both woke with a start and a shout - Bow holding up an already notched bow and arrow on instinct and Glimmer brandishing two fists full of magic.
They stared in disbelief at Adora, but before they could say anything she cried out, ‘I want to propose to Catra!’
Their expressions of surprise changed to delight - Bow accidentally let the arrow loose and it thudded into the wall and sparkles exploded around the room as Glimmer shouted, ‘Yes!’
As excited as they were to help their best friend, they encouraged her to go and get some sleep (and to let them sleep until what Glimmer said was ‘a reasonable hour’). They did meet up later that day to start to work out a plan.
Adora’s knowledge of proposals was pretty limited, but she was determined for everything to be perfect.
~
Proposal
Adora waited. And waited. And waited.
At first she was confused, wondering if Catra had gone to the wrong spot - but what other spot did they have? Then she was concerned, thinking maybe Catra had fallen on the stairs - but Catra was the most agile person she’d ever known…
And as the sun continued to set, Adora’s nerves went from bad to worse. She wondered if Catra had found out she was going to propose and had disappeared forever instead of awkwardly turning her down. Within a few minutes she’d managed to convince herself that Catra had run for the hills, changed her name to something boring like ‘Kyle’ and started her new identity in the Crimson Wastes.
When the door clicked open, Adora actually jumped in surprise, her daydreams/nightmares falling away at the sight of the actual girl of her dreams.
Catra stood in the doorway, holding something in her hands, and gaping at what she saw.
Her gaze moved from Adora, frozen in place in her suit, to the picnic blanket which had a basket full of food and a bouquet of red roses, to the hundreds of candles lining the edges of the landing, to lanterns dangling from the railing.
She took everything in with wide eyes, until she eventually looked back at Adora, completely at a loss for words, a delighted smile fluttering across her face.
Adora wanted to say something witty or heartfelt, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a breathless, ‘Hey, Catra.’
Catra laughed in disbelief and shook her head. ‘Hi?’ She stepped out onto the landing and looked around her. ‘What’s all this?’ She asked, a huge smile lighting up her face as she gestured at the display.
‘Surprise?’ Adora picked up a rose she’d cut the stem off earlier, and tucked it behind Catra’s ear.
‘Oh, Adora. You didn’t have to... this is so-’ Her enchantment disappeared and a look of horror took over her face. ‘Oh my stars, I’m not forgetting an anniversary, am I?!’
It was Adora’s turn to laugh, she waved off Catra’s concern. ‘No, no don’t worry.’
‘Okay, good, good.’ Catra leaned against her in relief. ‘You had me going for a second there. So what’s all this for then?’
Adora slipped her arms around Catra’s waist and just looked at her, letting all the love she was feeling show on her face, and she felt Catra’s breath hitch. ‘Just wanted to do something special for you.’ Adora whispered.
And how could Catra not kiss her? She tugged Adora down by her collar and pulled her in for a sweet kiss.
‘Thank you.’ Catra said quietly when they parted. ‘This is... beautiful.’
Still feeling high from the kiss and how good this was going so far, Adora gave Catra a lopsided smile and kissed her cheek. ‘Not as beautiful as you.’
Catra pushed her away. ‘Stupid.’ She muttered, but she was blushing.
Adora noticed Catra was still holding something in her hand, and a thought occurred to her. ‘Where were you? Glimmer said you were coming up ages ago?’
‘Ha!’ Catra snorted. ‘She said you were going up here to get some fresh air and I should check on you because you “weren’t feeling great.”’ Catra quotes, raising an eyebrow. Whoops. Glimmer thought she was telling Catra that Adora was feeling sick, but “not feeling great” meant something else between the two girlfriends. Back in the Horde they were never supposed to show weakness, and even with how close they were, they both struggled to express themselves. “Not feeling great” had become a code between them meaning they were feeling depressed. But that still didn’t explain why Catra had taken so long…
Catra gestured to what she was holding, it was a bowl covered in a cloth. ‘I was apparently late because I went to the kitchens and made you this.’ She pulled the cloth off the bowl, revealing a large slice of cake surrounded by fruit. It was Adora’s favourite comfort food - something sweet and sugary but she could still consider it healthy enough.
Adora stared down at the food, feeling touched that Catra knew exactly what would’ve cheered her up. She covers the bowl again and puts it down on the picnic blanket. ‘Oh.’
‘Yeah, ‘oh.’ It may not hold a candle to your incredibly romantic gesture, but the cake’s from tonight’s dessert, I had to sneak it away from the bakers.’ Catra whispered conspiratorially, giving her a wink. ‘Guess we’ve both got pretty great girlfriends.’ She teased.
Adora pulled her close again, feeling as enamoured as ever with the girl in front of her. ‘Nah, I’ve definitely got the best girlfriend.’ She whispered.
Catra’s teasing smirk shifted into something softer, but more confused. ‘Okay, what is with you? This is really sweet, and you’re being really sweet, but is this what’s had you so worried all day?’
Adora hesitated. This was the moment, there really wasn’t anything left to say or do except to go for it. But she was seized by a terror so great, her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. ‘Not exactly.’ She muttered, staring at the collar of Catra’s shirt.
Catra’s hand came up, her fist lightly nudging Adora’s downturned chin, guiding her gaze back up. ‘So…?’
She’d been planning everything to be right here, and now they were. And Adora had never felt more out of her depth. The moment was perfect, and Catra was waiting, Adora only needed to speak. Say it. Just say it. Her mouth was dry, her thoughts were spiralling, and she was so nervous that when she finally pushed the words out, instead of hearing her perfectly planned speech like she was expected, a different set of words babbled out.
‘L-look when we were kids and we were planning the future... I mean, I know that’s not what we want anymore - the conquering part! Not the future part. Obviously. But all the ‘ruling the world’ stuff, that wasn’t what it was all about, that’s just what they told us it was all about, but really it was all about us, right? Because it didn’t matter what they did, it was always gonna be you and me, it wasn’t their future it was our future, and even with everything that everyone was always telling us, I always knew what I-’ Adora swallowed. ‘-what I really wanted.’
Catra blinked. She opened her mouth and closed it. Then she blinked again. ‘...What?’
Adora groaned, and buried her face in her hands. ‘I have no idea.’ She mumbled. ‘This isn’t what I planned. Stars above, I didn’t think I’d be this nervous.’
Gentle hands reached up, and pulled her own hands away from her face. Catra was gazing at her, completely genuine. ‘Adora, love, it’s okay. Whatever this is, I promise it’s okay. It’s just me.’
Adora took a deep breath and let it out. Just Catra. In all her planning and preparations and wanting perfection, she’d sort of overlooked that. Catra jumped at mice, she scowled at strangers on the street, she was a sore loser, and when she laughed hard enough she could snort milk out of her nose. She wasn’t “perfect”. But she was perfect to Adora. Because of all their history, and their love, and how they were always there for each other. She was her home. The proposal didn’t need to be perfect. It just needed to show what she was feeling.
Catra was watching her with concern. One of her hands cupped Adora’s cheek. ‘You know you can tell me anything, right?’ She murmured, thumb brushing against Adora’s jaw.
‘I know.’ Adora said, kissing Catra’s palm. Looking into Catra’s eyes her fear felt a little easier to handle. She’d already been through just about everything to be able to be in Catra’s arms, she could ask one question to guarantee they would be together forever. ‘Just don’t- don’t freak out, okay? There’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.’
Something flickered in Catra’s eyes, but she nodded and gave Adora a reassuring smile.
Adora took both of Catra’s hands in hers and took another deep breath. She thought over everything she wanted to say, how to explain just how big her feelings were, and decided to start simple. ‘Alright. Here goes. Catra… I am so in love with you.’
‘Well, I already knew that.’ Catra teased, and Adora clapped a hand over her mouth.
‘Shh! No interruptions, please, I’m pouring my soul out here!’ Adora pleaded, but she was trying not to smile, especially at the laughter dancing in Catra’s eyes. She took her hand back and ran it through her own hair. ‘I’m in love with you! Hopelessly, ridiculously in love with you. Always have been. For some reason. For a million reasons. You are so bright and beautiful and frustrating and wonderful. And smart and sweet and funny and brave and stubborn.’ A goofy grin had overtaken her face. Catra who, despite talking herself up all the time, was terrible at taking compliments, and had turned bright red. ‘I could probably go on forever, but you already look like you’re about to combust so-’
Catra scoffed and half-heartedly shoved Adora away, but still kept a grip on Adora’s other hand. She was watching her with an almost disbelieving expression, like she might be starting to catch on.
Adora’s smile faded as she thought about what she wanted to say. It wasn’t the easiest speech, but it was all from her heart, and she wanted Catra to know how much she meant to her. ‘Back in the Horde…’ The teasing atmosphere dimmed as Catra took in the seriousness of her tone. ‘Sometimes I still can’t believe that such a nightmare of a place could also cause the greatest thing to happen. Because it brought us together. And growing up with you, and knowing you, and being your person? I wouldn’t change that for anything. You were the brightest part of all those years.’ Adora’s voice caught and she cleared her throat.
Eyes shining, Catra looked like she wanted to say something but she just squeezed Adora’s hand in response. Adora pushed forward wanting to get it all out in case she lost her nerve again.
‘And in the years we were apart I... I always hoped we’d find our way back to each other.’ She whispered. ‘And we did. Through everything. I think we’re just meant to be together. Not like it’s fate or something. But that we’re always gonna choose each other.’
Catra nodded emphatically at that, tears spilling down her cheeks. Adora reached up to wipe them away, but more kept coming. She’d be worried, except for the soft smiling lighting up Catra’s face. Nerves might still be fluttering around Adora’s heart, but her words were growing in conviction. Catra held her whole heart, and her whole future if she wanted it.
‘And since we’ve been together, Catra - I’ve never been so happy. I didn’t think it was possible to be this happy. You make me feel so safe, and loved and wanted. And that is what I want to do for you every day for- for the rest of our lives. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together.’ Adora confessed, breathless but grinning as she finally reached the heart of her speech.
Catra let out a sob. Tears were pouring down her face now, and she gripped Adora’s hand like a lifeline.
This was it. No more spectacle or speeches, just one question. And Adora knew she was ready. She gently took her hand back, and reached into her pocket.
‘So, well, I-’ She pulled out the ring box, hands shaking. ‘I’ve been wanting to ask you.’ Adora’s heart was pounding, but she smiled as she got down on one knee. ‘Catra, w-’
‘Wait! Wait, please-’ Catra said desperately, her hands going up to cover her face.
Adora froze, and for one terrifying moment she thought Catra was about to turn her down. But Catra was frantically wiping the tears from her face.
‘Wait, I wanna see you.’ Catra whispered, scrubbing at her eyes, and sounding so wrecked that Adora’s heart tripped. ‘Can’t see you, why am I crying so much, fuck-’
A relieved laugh bubbled up in Adora’s chest and burst out. She leaned forward into Catra, her head against her waist. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack.’ She echoed from earlier, and Catra laughed, it sounded wet and choked off, but still real. Catra’s hand came down to run through Adora’s hair, and Adora leaned back and looked up at her.
‘Sorry, I’m sorry. Keep going. Please?’ Catra asked. Her face was flushed, and tears were already tracking down her cheeks, but her smile was open and bright. Adora didn’t think she’d ever been so beautiful. She didn’t feel any fear at all as she smiled back.
Her eyes still locked with Catra, she opened the ring box. ‘Catra, will you marry me?’
‘Yes!’ Catra cried, the instant the question was over.
Adora was up and kissing her in the blink of an eye. Her arms wrapped around Catra’s waist as Catra’s went around her neck and they were kissing… and kissing… and kissing. Catra was still crying, and now so was Adora, and they were both laughing and it was messy and chaotic and just perfect.
When they finally pulled apart Catra looked at her in awe.
‘Oh my stars you just proposed.’ She whispered in disbelief.
Adora laughed and pressed their foreheads together. ‘I did.’ She kissed the edge of Catra’s mouth.
‘We’re gonna get married.’ Catra continued, still in shock.
‘We are.’ Adora agreed, kissing Catra’s temple, her cheek, her jaw, anywhere she could reach.
Catra didn’t say anything, completely still, until one hand came up to push Adora back so she could look into her eyes. She looked between them desperately, trying to work something out, until it finally seemed to click. ‘We’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together?’ She asked, voice cracking.
Tears spilled down Adora’s own cheeks as the enormity of that statement finally set in. ‘Uh-huh.’ She said, words escaping her.
Catra kissed her hard, and Adora swept her up in her arms and spun her around.
She was perfectly content to spend the previously mentioned rest of their lives kissing Catra right here, but a thought occurred to her and she broke the kiss.
‘Wait, the ring!’ She cried, putting Catra back down on her feet. In her rush to kiss her fiance - fiance!! - the ring had flown out of Adora’s hand. She and Catra looked around, Adora was worried it could’ve gone over the edge, but Catra found the box in between some candles. She held it in her hands reverently, before carefully passing it back to Adora.
Adora opened the box, and the ring caught the light of the last rays of sun. Catra gasped when she saw it, she’d been busy looking at Adora during the proposal, but now she could appreciate how stunning the ring was.
It had a gold band, and three gemstones, pink in the middle, with a yellow and blue on either side. Adora took the ring out and put the box back in her pocket.
‘May I?’ She asked, and Catra nodded weakly. Adora took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.
‘It’s gorgeous.’ Catra whispered, admiring it. Adora lifted her hand up and kissed the back of it, and Catra sighed at her touch.
‘Apparently She-Ra’s powers also can also include metal work.’ Adora said, and Catra looked between her and the ring.
‘You made this?’
Adora nodded, eyes glittering. ‘Yep, I wanted the blue and yellow for your eyes. The yellow’s amber, which is warmth, the blue’s larimar, which is peace, and the pink is kunzite, which is… um, divine love.’ She admitted, pink dusting her cheeks. ‘I’m not sure I believe in all the properties, but it’s a nice thought. Do you like it?’ She asked shyly.
Catra leaned up and softly brushed their lips together. ‘It’s perfect. I love it. And I love you. So much.’
Adora laughed giddily. ‘I love you too.’
Catra took a step back, taking a breath and wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.
‘You okay?’ Adora asked gently.
‘Never better.’ Catra said, smiling at her. ‘It’s just a lot.’ She grazed her fingertips against the ring.
‘Do you want to sit down? I made dinner.’ She said, gesturing to the picnic.
Catra closed her eyes before looking skyward. ‘Of course you did.’ She laughed and sat down on the blanket. Adora joined her, pulling the dishes out. She put the dessert she made next to the cake Catra brought.
‘You made my favourites? Even the applesauce?’ Catra blinked at them.
‘Yep! I wanted everything to be perfect.’
Catra watched her, tears shimmering in her eyes. ‘You're perfect.’ She said, her voice aching.
Adora blushed, but before she could say anything Catra had covered her eyes with her hand and let out a frustrated growl.
‘You’ve always got to one-up me, don’t you? With the romantic spot, and the heart-felt speech that makes me cry, and the dinner, and the proposal!’ Catra cried, gesturing wildly. Adora watched her in confusion. ‘I already got a ring and everything. I had a whole plan. With the waterfall, and flowers, it was this whole thing. I was gonna ask in two months, on our anniversary. There’s already a big victory party for the end of the war, I was going to-’
‘You were going to propose?’ Adora asked, thunderstruck.
Catra looked at her, wide eyes shifting to fond. ‘Of course I was, dummy.’
Adora kissed her.
‘You should ask me then. I think there’s a pretty good chance of me saying yes.’
Catra laughed, and kissed her back, long and slow, lips slotting together like they were made for each other.
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
The sun was slipping below the horizon, the last rays of light dancing across the sky. When they pulled apart Adora looked at the love of her life and felt so happy it was though she was flying. She thought back to that girl she was all those years ago, watching her best friend with so many feelings she didn’t know how to handle. She really wished she could go back and tell her she gets her happy future after all.