The trip to Mystacor wasn’t planned.
Glimmer had just shown up and invited Catra and Adora to join her and Bow in visiting her Aunt Casta. Adora had enthusiastically agreed, and so Catra had agreed as well. Casta had met them with open arms (literally), teasing Glimmer and Bow as she often did.
Catra and Adora had just gotten to their room. Adora set their bag down on the desk and turns, catching Catra grinning.
“Who knew Sparkles could go so red?” Catra chuckled
Adora laughed, “Im surprised she didn’t start in on us,”
“We only just got here, theres still plenty of time,” Catra says
“Come on, lets go try and relax while Glimmer is off doing Queen things,”
Adora tosses Catra a bathing suit and she holds it up, grimacing slightly “Ive never been one for swimming,”
“I know, you don’t need to if you don’t want to,” Adora responds “its just so you can be cool and keep your nips covered at the same time, its really warm here,”
Catra snorts “Oh, like you want me to cover my nips,”
Adora goes red, opening her mouth to argue. But she just shuts it instead and giggles. She pulls out her own bathing suit. It was similar to the one she had donned on her first trip to Mystacor a few years back. Shorts, a band of fabric to cover her chest, and a sash. This time it was red, and the tailors at Brightmoon had added little scallop details on the bottom of the legs. Adora put it on before turning back to Catra, who was grinning.
“Nice butt,”
Adora crosses her arms and pouts, her face going bright red.
“Thats not polite you know,” She says
“Whats not?” Catra smirks
“Watching people while they change,”
“Im your girlfriend, Dora,” Catra deadpans “But, if you still think its rude you should probably look away,”
She places her swimsuit on the bed and pulls off her shit. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath and the cool air makes her shiver slightly as it hits the exposed skin.
“Your nips are out,” Adora says dumbly
“God,” Catra giggles walking closer “Can you stop saying nips?”
Adora grins dopily and puts her hands on Catras bare hips, thumbs brushing though the thin fur there. Her hands were warm against Catras skin, steady and familiar. She wraps her arms around Adoras neck, bumping her forehead against the blondes, purring softly.
“That feels nice,” Catra says
Adora pushes a strand of loose hair off Catras face and cups her cheek, kissing her sweetly
“As much as I enjoy the view,” Adora says looking down and smirking before looking back to Catras face “and I really, really enjoy the view, we can’t stay in here all day,”
Catra sighs “Fine, well go to the stupid spa,”
Catra turns her back to Adora, returning to her forgotten swim suit. She deliberately looks over her shoulder at Adora, who was leaning on the wardrobe door picking at her fingernails. Adora looks up at her, and she looks away, taking her time and changing at a leisurely pace, not paying any mind to Adora, who she knows is staring. She LOVED to tease Adora, and couldn’t ever pass up the opportunity. She takes her pants off and neatly folds them, laying them on the bed. Her tail slowly swishes behind her as she picks up the black shorts and pulls them on then she picks up the top. It was a cropped tank with a very deep cut V, and she smiles. Adora had gone to the tailor to request their swimsuits, and she had landed spot on Catras style. Both the top and the bottoms had mesh wave details that circled her waist and thighs. Once its on, she adjusts it and then turns back to Adora, snorting. She was staring intently, cheeks flushed. Catra clears her throat and Adora blushes, knowing she’s been caught.
“Wow, now who’s the rude one?” Catra teases, walking past Adora and bumping her with her hip. “C’mon,”
She opens the door and smiles at Adora “Princesses first,”
Adora rolls her eyes fondly, walking through the door and taking Catras hand once she had joined her in the hall. They walk together through the corridors of Mystacor castle, heading towards the spa.
When they get there, Adora drags Catra into the steam room first, and Catra winces, her fur feeling sticky and damp within seconds. She sits with Adora regardless, letting Adora talk her ear off about some weird piece of Tech her and Bow had found the day before. The air was warm and balmy and smelled sweet, like citrus and coconut, heavy steam hung all around them. Every now and then a cool breeze blew in from the door, and Catra was grateful for that
After a while, Adora she stands and pulls Catra up with her.
“Come on! Get in the hot spring with me!”
“Adora! No!” Catra says as Adora pulls her towards the water. Adora is giggling and holding one of Catras hands in both of her own, walking backwards towing her reluctant girlfriend with her.
“Please? The water is so nice! I almost fell asleep in there last time, almost drowned Glimmer by dumping her off my shoulder when Shadow Weaver showed up,”
Adora turns, hand reaching behind her to maintain her grasp on Catra. Four large white scars sat on her back, long raised and still a little red around the edges despite the time that had passed.
Guilt washes over Catra. She had caused those scars while under Primes control.
Adora lets go of Catras hand and descends into the water, sitting down. Catra sits too, near the edge of the water, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself protectively. Her rests her chin on her knees and her tail moves to curl around her legs. A frown finds its way onto her face.
Adora notices the change in Catras mood almost immediately and frowns.
“Catra? Are you okay? Did I say something wrong? You don’t need to come into the water, you know that right?”
“No, Adora, its-its not that,”
Adoras concern deepens as she moves closer, sitting in front of Catra and wrapping her hands gently around her shins, thumbs brushing over them softly.
“What’s wrong?” She asks softly “You know you can tell me anything…”
Catra sighs and looks Adora in the eyes. They were startlingly blue, earnest, kind, and loving. They made Catra feel safe.
“Your scars,” Catra says finally
“My scars?” Adora repeats, confused
“They just remind me of how much I don’t deserve someone as good as you. Of how much I fucked up in the past, how much I hurt you,” Catra says
“Catra,” Adora says softly, her heart breaking “People do bad things and fuck up, people mess up they hurt the people they love, but that doesn’t define who they are. You worked hard and fixed things, bettered yourself, saved my life and the lives of so many others.”
She lifts herself up out of the hot spring and sits next to Catra, her legs dangling into the water. She puts an arm around Catra and rests her forehead against her temple
“You deserve love,”
Tears were rolling down Catras face and she sniffled turning to Adora and wrapping her arms around her waist.
“We’ve both done our fair share of things to hurt the other, but none of that matters now,” she lifts Catras chin and smiles at her “Now is what matters, what we do going forwards, the past is the past and nothing we do can change It, so we just have to live and learn,”
She places a soft kiss on Catras forehead, then pulls her close again.
“You always know the right thing to say,”
“Hey, what can I say, the princesses are an emotional, sappy bunch, you learn a thing or two,”
Catra laughs “God, I love you,”
“I love you, too,” Adora responds
“Can we leave now, I’m so goddamn warm,”
Adora barks out a laugh “Sure babe,”
They stands and get and head towards the door. They collect their towels on the way and step out into the warm sunlight, heading for the beach.
“I was not built for heat like that,” Catra complains, shaking herself off slightly.
“I didn’t even think of that,” Adora says sheepishly “Sorry, you must have been so uncountable in there,”
“Eh, it was worth it,” Catra says leaning into Adora as they walked down the path hand in hand. Adora grins happily as they step out onto the beach. She sets her towel on the ground a few feet from the path and sits, patting the spot next to her.
Catra just stands above her, arms held slightly out from her sides with her eyes closed. The wind blows through her short hair and she sighs “God that breeze is nice,”
Then Catra is reaching for the bottom of her bathing suit top and Adora has enough time to say “Catra, what are you-“ Before the top comes off and lands on the ground beside her, Catra following, now topless.
“What if someone sees,” Adora asks completely taken aback, face red, voice a whisper.
“Let em,” Catra says, leaning into her side, Adoras arm moving instinctively to encircle her waist, fingers resting on her hip .
After a few moments, Adora relaxes and beings to play with the fur on Catra thigh, gently brushing it and tracing shapes into it lazily.
“Your fur is so fluffy right now,” Adora giggles
“Must have been the humidity,” Catra says.
Adora hums in agreement and Catra sighs contentedly and looks out at the fluffy white waves, the sun beyond them. It was beautiful here.
Nearly an hour had passed when they began to hear someone headed towards them on the path. Adora had frozen, wanting to warn Catra, but she knew that Catra would have heard the approaching person before she had, and probably already knew who it was. If she wanted to put her top back on she probably would have by now.
Turns out, it was Glimmer. She beams when she sees them, teleporting over in a flash.
“Hey Glimmer,” Adora says as her friend appears standing over them.
“Haha, nice,” She says, looking down at the still very topless Catra.
Then, without hesitation, she pulls her own bathing suit top off and takes a seat next to Catra, leaning back on one arm with one knee raised. She places her hand on her knee and sighs,
“Who know being shirtless on the beach could feel so freeing?” She says
“I know right?” Catra responds “and that breeze is incredible after the sauna,”
Just then, Bow walks out of the woods and squeaks, averting his gaze politely when he sees two of his best friends shirtless. “Um, guys, what’s going on?”
“We’re enjoying the breeze with out nips out,” Catra says “Join us,”
“No thanks,” Bow says, turning to Adora, who snorts
“Its okay Bow, I don’t know how we got here either,”
Bow sits down with them and sighs “Man, the view is beautiful,”
“Hey perv, I have a girlfriend,” Catra responds without hesitation, nudging Adora with a grin.
Bow blushes and begins to stammer “I was talking about the scenery not about you- not your…”
He buries his face in his hands, groaning loudly and the three girls burst out laughing
“Im only messing with you,” Catra says with a laugh “Payback for calling me cute all those times,”
Adora chuckles and squeezes Catras thigh with her hand “Be nice, you,”
“Im always nice,” Catra says smugly, sticking her tongue out at Bow as she leans into Adora.
When Castaspella comes to find them for dinner hours later, she stops dead in her tracks, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the situation she had just come upon. She speaks directly to Adora,
“Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, please wash up beforehand, you’ve been outdoors all day” She says, then turns to leave but stops “And please, Adora, make sure your girlfriend and my niece are clothed,”
The seconds she’s out of earshot Glimmer and Catra burst out laughing. Bow puts his head in his hands, shaking it lightly, more amused than embarrassed. When Glimmer catches sight of Adoras tomato red face she nudges Catra with her shoulder and points, and both fall back into a fit of laugher. Bow rolls his eyes, smiling fondly.
“Come on you guys, put your shirts on so we can go back,” He says
“Fine,” Glimmer groans, reaching for her shirt and pulling it back on
“I think,” says Catra, standing up and stretching her arms above her head “I’m going to walk back like this,”
When she sees the look on Adoras face she giggles “Im joking idiot, I don’t wanna get arrested or something,” She pulls on her top and then frowns
“Although, considering Castaspella is related to this one,” She jabs her thumb at Glimmer “I doubt she even has a jail, probably just a really fancy room with a fantastic view,”
“Hey!” Glimmer says “You better start running,”
“Like you could catch me,” Catra snickers, then takes off running with Glimmer after her. They get about twenty feet before Glimmer remembers she can teleport. She appears on Catras back and the two disappear into the woods, giggling and shrieking.
Bow and Adora laugh and begin to walk back to the castle together.