Bright Moon is everything Catra expected it would be. It’s, well, bright, and pastel and airy and huge. Relatively everything is still intact, safe for a few rooms that had been packed up or ransacked in a hurry. Murals of the palace’s past rulers line the arching corridors. When Catra passes Angella’s during Glimmers’ tour, she pretends she doesn’t notice the pained look that crosses the young queen’s face. She’ll save that conversation for a later date.
Maybe someday Catra will find the castle welcoming, maybe she’ll even call it home. For now, however, it feels cold and intimidating. There is a lot Catra still has to learn, and there are still many people she owes forgiveness to. To be honest, Catra had expected to die on Primes ship, and now that she’s here and being forced to face the consequences of her actions… well, it’s a little overwhelming.
“Everything alright?” Glimmer asks, reaching a comforting hand out to Catra, only before thinking better of it and resting it back to her side.
“I’m a little tired,” Catra admits. It’s only been a day since the war ended, leaving little time for rest in between tours and parties and oh so many HUGS.
Glimmer grins, “Luckily for you, we’re almost at your new room.”
Catra relaxes a smidge. As the tour progresses, Catra attempts at mapping any definitive signs in her head as to not get lost when she goes exploring on her own in the morning. The place is a maze, though much different than the winding corridors of Primes flagship. That place was sinister, it aimed to frighten and threaten. Bright Moon is warm and open and wants you to call it home.
“What do you think of the palace?” Glimmer asks as if reading her thoughts, “It’s big, but you’ll get used to it.”
“I guess…” Catra mumbles, “Pretty sure I’m going to get lost a lot.”
The shorter girl shrugs, “If you ever need help navigating the place, my rooms just off the main hall, and Adora is a few doors down from your room.” She raises an eyebrow, “I’m told you enjoy exploring though, so maybe you won’t even need us after all.”
Catra scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Doesn’t Arrow Boy have a room here too?”
Glimmer blushes, “Bow usually just stays with me, or the three of us have a Best Friend Squad sleepover.”
“I can’t believe you guys call yourselves that,” Catra says, wrinkling her nose.
“What do you mean ‘you guys,’” Glimmer smirks, “You’re one of us now, too Horde Scum.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night Sparkles.”
Glimmer shakes her head, “I know you love us. You’re just to shy to admit it.”
“I am not shy, and I don’t love anyone! You’re all insufferable.” Catra grumbles.
“Uh-huh,” Glimmer says amused, “Even Adora?”
Catra nearly trips on her own feet. “I- No! She’s not- I don’t- we didn’t- uhg, Adora’s different!”
“Different you say? How so?” She asks with faux innocents.
“She just is okay?” Catra pauses, “How do you even know about that anyway?”
Glimmer rolls her eyes, “Please Catra, I’ve spent enough time with you on Primes ship and off it, to know you two’ve got something going on. You and Adora were inseparable as soon as Entrapta got that chip off your neck!” She chuckles, “Bow and I made a bet on whether or not you two were actually dating before Adora left the Horde. I can’t believe I lost.”
“You made bets on us? What the hell Sparkles!” Catra exclaims, irritation running rampant through her veins.
“It all worked out fine in the end, didn’t it? I don’t see what you’re getting so uptight about.”
“Can we please just stop talking about this?” Catra pleads.
Glimmer nods with another chortle, “Sure thing Catra, we’re at your room anyway.”
The two of them stop at a door that looks exactly like every other one that lines the hallway. Glimmer pushes the entry open, gesturing for Catra to step inside.
“I’ll let you settle in,” she says, “Breakfast is served at ten every morning, so try not to sleep in too late, hm?”
Catra nods, “Sure thing… Night Sparkles.”
Glimmer smiles softly, “Goodnight Horde Scum.”
Then she’s alone.
There’s barely anything in the room.
A dresser filled with nothing but a pair of pajamas and a lavender tunic (yeesh, who had decided on lavender? It’s definitely not her color). There is a small bathroom (by Bright Moon sizes, which is actually rather large), off to the side of the room, and towards to back is an open balcony overlooking the castle gardens. Melog is watching something intently outside (so this is where they ran off to earlier). There’s a waterfall too, though Catra isn’t sure what it’s used for. In the center of the room is a great… bed? No, there’s no way that thing is legitimately meant for sleeping.
Catra changes into her nightclothes, a loose tank top, and shorts, something she isn’t accustomed to, and decides to try out the bed.
As soon as her butt hits the mattress, Catra is sucked into its mushy depths. How the hell could any sane person sleep like this?
Quickly she rolls onto the ground, careful not to let her claws scrape against the thin fabric as to not split the mattress. Maybe she would just sleep on the floor tonight. It’s cooler down there anyhow.
Now that she is alone, intrusive thoughts begin to crawl into Catra’s mind.
At once it hits her how odd it is for her to be here. Shouldn’t she be getting punished right now? Why hadn’t Glimmer and King Micah thrown her in some prison deep in the earth by now? Why has no one beat her or screamed at her that she doesn’t belong, that she deserved to die long before Prime had captured and tortured her? Why has Adora not yet realized she can do so much better than Catra, that she deserves so much better than Catra?
Why hasn’t she left yet?
A tear rolls down her cheek, and Catra realizes she’s started to cry. She sniffs, forcefully wiping the perspiration from her eyes. When had she gotten so pathetic?
A mewl from the balcony drags her out of her head. Melog is looking expectantly at her.
‘What is the matter?’ They ask, ‘Are you not happy here?’
Catra shrugs, wrapping her arms around her knees, “That’s the question, isn’t it?... I am happy Melog, it’s just… hard.”
The alien cat seems to consider this, then turns their head to the sky, ‘Come. I think you will enjoy the view.’
Without hesitation, she comes to stand by her companion. Melog was right, she does enjoy the view. Bright Moon truly is a beautiful kingdom, and it is only amplified by the stars shining in the night sky. Catra can’t believe she ever wanted to destroy this place.
She turns to the left. There is another balcony a few yards away, close enough for Catra to jump across if she so desired. No one stands there, but a light is coming from the room it belongs to. Catra thinks she can hear humming, her heart speeds up in her chest. It’s not particularly good, and it’s very offkey, but to her, it’s the most magnificent sound in the world.
‘Why do you not sleep with her?’ Melog asks, nudging Catra’s arm with their snout.
Her ears suddenly feel very hot at the idea, which is stupid, because they’ve slept with each other before.
Not here though. Not in Adora’s own bed.
“What if she doesn’t want to see me?” Catra voices nervously.
Melog tilts their head, ‘I have been with her all day. She speaks of you a lot. I can smell her pheromones when she is around you. She does want to sleep with you.’
Catra lets out an embarrassed squeak, “Melog! You can’t go around smelling people!”
‘That was not my point, Catra.’ Melog insists, ‘You are sad, Adora makes you happy. Let yourself be happy.’
Let herself be happy.
Why is that proving to be so hard?
“Fine, I’ll go. But it’s not because I like her or anything.”
Melog perks up, skipping around in some sort of excited dance, ‘yes it is.’
Catra considers simply hopping over to Adora’s balcony but ends up deciding against it. What they have now is fragile, and she doesn’t want to freak Adora out by popping into her room whenever she pleases.
She enters the hallway, stopping at the door a few rows down from her room, with a light shining beneath it.
Taking a deep breath, Catra knocks.
From the other side, Adora’s muffled voice calls back, “I already told you Glimmer, I’m perfectly fine sleeping on my own!”
Catra freezes. Does Adora not want visitors right now?
“I didn’t think Sparkles knocked,” Catra called back. She hears something clatter to the ground as Adora mutters a curse. Suddenly, eagerly even, the door swings open, revealing a red-faced Adora.
“She uh, doesn’t knock, actually,” Adora says. Her hair is down and disheveled. She’s wearing an oversized shirt that hangs down just above her knees, and the fact that she’s only wearing underwear beneath it is something Catra tries hard not to focus on.
“I can go back to my room if you want to be alone…” Catra offers, regretting she even came here in the first place.
“No no! Don’t leave!” Adora rushes. Her face gets even redder. “I mean, you can come in if you want to.”
Catra nods politely and steps inside the room, Melog close behind. The door clicks shut behind them.
Adora’s room is much more lived-in than the one Catra was given. Maps and photos of her friends hang on the vanity in the corner, and there are a few doodles and maps pinned to the wall.
“You’ve gotten better at drawing.” Catra points out, scanning Adora’s self-made diagrams.
“Thanks.” Adora smiles.
There’s some clothes strewn on the floor and a diary open on a desk (one Adora quickly snaps shut when she notices Catra staring at it, an awkward smile on her face).
Adora’s room has a real bed too, with a sturdy mattress and canopy.
“What was Sparkles bugging you about?” Catra asks.
Adora, who had been staring at Catra as she explored the room snaps to attention. “Hm? Oh, she was just bothering me about, uh sleeping arrangements.” Now her ears are red too. “Sorry I snapped at you.”
Catra smirks, “It’s fine. You thought I was Sparkles, and believe me, is she easy to get annoyed at.”
The blonde snorts, rolling her eyes. She doesn’t deny it though.
“How’s your new room?” Adora asks, wringing her fingers, “Liking everything okay?”
Catra shrugs, “It’s different… The bed is a little…”
Adora chuckles, “Yeah, I blew mine up my first day here.”
The image of Adora blowing up her own mattress and the idea that she had just as much trouble settling in as Catra has, sets her at ease, even drawing a small laugh from her throat.
“Weirdo.” Catra says, then, “What are you still doing up? I thought you’d be passed out by now.”
Blush returning in full force, Adora says, “I guess I couldn’t sleep. It’s been a while since I’ve been in my own room...Plus…”
Catra flicks her ears up attentive, “Plus what?”
Adora’s neck is bright red now too, “Plus I was kind of debating coming to your room.”
In her chest, Catra’s heart does something funny, and an ache to hold Adora and never let go rushes through her bones.
“Yeah well, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
She smiles softly, the one she’s only ever given to Catra, “Yeah, you are.”
Now its Catra’s turn to blush.
A long mewl comes from Adora’s bed where Melog is curled up. They lift their head as if calling the both of them over to sleep.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Adora asks grey-blue eyes wide and youthful, “We can have a sleepover, just like we used to when we were kids.”
There’s something about the innocent way Adora asks that almost brings Catra to tears. She nods, not trusting her own voice at the moment, and allows Adora to lead her to bed.
The taller girl crawls in first, then looks up at Catra.
“Melogs at the foot of the bed. I always slept at the foot of your bed.” Catra explains when she doesn’t move.
Adora’s eyes grow, “Oh, that’s- that’s okay you can sleep up here with me.”
She scoots over, allowing Catra to slide in next to her.
Instantly Catra is overwhelmed with the feeling of content, she can’t help the purr starting to erupt from her chest. Adora’s bed is soft, but not squishy enough to sink into it. The sheets are warm, and the pillows are big and soft and smell like Adora.
She nestles deeper into the bed, rubbing her face into the pillow, taking deep breaths, trying to absorb as much of the smell as she can. It’s intoxicating, maybe Melog is really up to something with all that pheromone talk.
When Catra takes a particularly deep breath, Adora giggles, stopping her mid inhale.
“Are you, smelling my pillows?” She snorts.
Catra is thankful for the darkness of the room because the blush on her face right now would probably be enough to blind Adora. “N-no, I was getting comfortable!”
Adora leans in closer, still grinning smugly. “It’s okay Catra, I like the way you smell too.”
At their feet, Melog rolls onto their back, ‘See? Pheromones.’
Catra ignores them in favor of hiding her face from humiliation under the covers.
“Hey,” Adora comforts her, nudging Catra gently until she reapers, “You don’t need to be embarrassed, it’s only me. I don’t have any idea what I’m doing either.”
Catra sighs. Then, unable to stop herself, wraps her body around Adora, laying her head against her chest. It’s even better than a pillow.
“Gods Adora, I love you so much.” As she speaks, Catra can feel Adora’s heart beat faster.
Adora wraps her strong arms around Catra, “I love you too. So, so much.”
She tilts her head up to kiss Adora where her neck meets her jawline. The contact is feather-light, but it elects a small gasp from Adora.
“Was that bad?” Catra asks, stiffening.
“No, I think I’m-,” Adora gulps, “I think that’s a sensitive spot.”
Catra purrs in reply, filing that information away for a later date. Now though, she takes full advantage of her position.
“You mean sensitive like, this?” She launches her attack, tickling Adora’s neck and sides.
“Ah! No! Catra!” She wheezes, jerking at the slightest touch.
Finally, Catra decides Adora’s had enough and flops down on the bed as her breathing steadies.
There are several minutes of silence after the two girls’ laughter has died down.
Catra starts to think Adora’s fallen asleep when she whispers, “I’ve missed this. Having sleepovers with you. Bow and Glimmer are amazing but… It never felt the same. Sleepovers with them reminded me of you.”
The old Catra would’ve gotten angry at this. If Adora had loved them so much, why had she defected in the first place?
The new Catra however, realizes that Adora leaving was just as painful for her as it was for Catra.
There’s so much she wants to tell Adora. So much she wants to apologize for. But now is not the time for it.
“We’ll just have to have a sleepover every night for the rest of our lives then, won’t we?” Catra says. “We gotta make up for lost time somehow.”
Adora squeezes her tighter, nestling her face into the soft brown curls on Catra’s head. She takes a deep breath, sending shivers down Catra’s spine.
“That sounds wonderful.”
Eyelids now heavy, Catra yawns.
“G’night Adora,” she mumbles, “I love you.”
Adora presses a kiss to the crown of her forehead, “Nighty night Catra, I love you too.”
Catra falls asleep in Adora’s arms, Melog snoring softly in their sleep. Never in her life, has she felt so happy, and for once in her life, she allows herself to enjoy it, because, for all she knows, the world could end tomorrow.
Only, it couldn’t, because as long as she’s with Adora, nothing bad can ever really happen.