Catra flinches, closing her eyes as the door to her room slides open. She curls further in on herself, arms crossed over her chest, hands gripping her shoulder with her knees tucked up against her abdomen. She was only wearing her undergarments, boxer shorts and a black lacy bralet, having gotten back from Princess Prom and all but clawed her suit off before collapsing onto her bed.
"You okay, Catra?"
Scorpia sounds concerned, her footsteps coming to a stop beside Catras bed. Catra feels a gentle claw on her shoulder and shies away from it, a halfhearted hiss passing through her lips as she clenches her eyes shut, trying not to cry.
The bed dips beside her, causing her body to slide towards Scorpia slightly. Her tail curls around her stomach protectively as the larger woman scoots a little closer.
Scorpia realizes she isnt getting anything out of Catra so she lays back on the bed with her arms out to the side. Catra peers over at her confused before rolling over to face the other way.
"You know I'm your friend right?" Scorpia says eventually "You can talk to me,"
Catra doesn't say anything for a long time. Scorpia doesn't move, staying with her and keeping her company, just existing beside her.
After a while, Catra rolls back over and sighs, looking at Scorpia who drops her head to the side to look back, waiting patiently.
"I.. I thought this victory would make me feel good, but... it just hurts," Catra says hugging herself tighter "It hurts so much I can barely even breath,"
Scorpia frowns sympathetically, opening her arms "Do you want a hug?"
Catra thinks for a moment and then pushes up onto her hands and knees, crawling over and collapsing into Scorpias embrace.
Scorpia wraps her arms around Catras small body, almost completely engulfing her without even trying. Catras fur was soft and warm against her skin, her tail flicking absently along the bed behind her. Scorpia was taken slightly aback by how open and vulnerable Catra was being, but she pushed that aside and rubbed Catras back instead.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asks
Catra once again stays silent for a moment, pondering if she did want to talk about it, before deciding she did.
"I danced with Adora," Catra begins "It-it was meant to be a distraction but it was so nice to be close to her again, to feel her skin on mine,"
Scorpia nods, her heart breaking for her friend "You guys were really close before right? I used to hear about all the trouble you guys used to get in together as kids,"
Catra laughs "Yeah, we used to give Shadow Weaver hell,"
"How old were you when you guys met?"
"I had just turned four and she was nearly five," Catra says "I was left here in a box and Adora found me in Shadow Weavers sanctum and kinda just claimed me, told Shadow Weaver off and everything,"
Catra smiles at the memory of Adora challenging Shadow Weaver, her little cheeks flushed, eyes wild, blond pixie cut absolutely intimidating.
Scorpia laughs "She was always a force to be reckoned with, I can see why you miss her,"
"I dont-" Catra begins, but she cuts herself off. It was no use lying. She did miss her, desperately so. Tears well up in her eyes and she sniffles "I just want things to go back to normal,"
"You want your best friend back," Scorpia says softly "The girl you love,"
Catra recoils slightly from that word, the implications behind it, knowing full well Scorpia was right but unsure if Scorpia meant it the way Catra was interpreting it.
She simply nods against Scoprias chest, not quite having enough energy to try and argue "Everything was perfect,"
Scorpia tried not to be hurt by that, by the implication that Catras life was perfect without her, but it hurt regardless. Catra meant the world to her, despite not knowing each other long, so it hurt to be reminded just how one sided their relationship could be sometimes.
"Well," Catra says with a smile, nudging Scorpia with her shoulder, her tail flicking to rest on her own hip, curling around the front of her thigh "Almost perfect,"
Scorpia beams, her heart filling with warmth as Catra hugs her, the tip of her tail brushing along the side of Scorpias thigh, barely making contact as it swishes absently. Maybe she was wrong after all. Maybe Catra wasnt as cold as she pretended to be.
"We probably would have met through Adora if she was a force captain,"
Catra laughs "You're right, you guys definitely would have been friends, you're both the same brand of stupidly optimistic and caring,"
"Yeah?" Scorpia says
"Yeah,"
They lay in silence for a long time, it feels like hours before Catra speaks again. Scorpias eyes were droopy and Catras voice in the silent room shocked her out of her sleepy daze.
"Thanks, for you know, being here for me," She says sheepishly, a light blush on her cheeks.
"That's just what friends do," Scorpia responds hugging Catra, being careful not to hurt her.
She feels a slight rumbling against her side and it takes her a moment to realize Catra was purring. She giggles, a puff of air out her nose causing Catras ear to flick, irritated.
"What's so funny?" Catra asks, still rumbling out purrs.
"I didn't know you could purr," Scorpia says "Its cute,"
"I am not cute!" Catra says, sitting up and shoving Scorpia playfully, a grin on her face
Scorpia rolls her eyes, grinning back "Whatever you say wildcat,"