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The Nyanny ch16
🕑 Added 2025-03-21 03:13:41 +0000 UTCCatra jolted from her sleep, the memory of her dream slipped away quickly but the feeling of fingers on her skin remained. Her room was darker than she remembered and her body was nestled under her blanket. She glanced around. She noticed her door was closed after she intentionally left it open and her ears drooped from their alert points.
She had tried to wait up to talk to Adora and see if she was alright after such a heavy day. She might have wanted to see Adora’s reaction to the flowers she bought her too. Catra wasn’t really a flower person, so when she wanted to get a bouquet that meant something she always defaulted to Perfuma to help her. She hadn’t been thrilled about the pink flowers, but she had bought them because she cared about Adora. Not caring enough about her boss was far from Catra’s problem.
Catra had been lazing around the house after she got the flowers, so when she was comfy in bed she had accidentally fallen asleep. Apparently she napped too hard and completely missed her opportunity to see Adora that evening.
Catra crawled out of bed, throwing back the blanket dramatically as she tip-toed to the door and into the kitchen. The flowers she had bought were no longer on the island in the kitchen, but moved to near the coffee machine. The house was completely silent and the smell of lilies subtly filled the room just like the lingering scent of Adora. At least she knew Adora was home.
Catra sighed in disappointment and returned to her room. She laid down in her bed but after twisting herself up in her sheets for too long she realised it was no use. She was wide awake. She ruined her sleep schedule yet again. She laid there for what felt like hours before she remembered that Finn wasn’t home and she was off work until they returned later that day.
Catra decided to take advantage of the unusual opportunity and dressed in her running clothes. She wore tight black exercise pants, and a crop top before she grabbed her running shoes.
Catra hated her running shoes.
She bought them on a sale because they were almost 80% off and they were comfortable, but they were bright pink. When she closed her left eye the pink colour made her feel nauseated with its brightness.
She forced herself to get used to running with them because she wasn’t buying new shoes till that pair died and she never looked at her feet. She crept back into the living room and was surprised to find Swifty awake and waiting for her by the front door.
“Hey, you want to come, buddy?” she whispered and Swifty ‘boofed’ in response.
“Shh, don’t wake the whole building,” Catra said with a laugh and grabbed his leash. He wagged his tail as she attached the lead and let him follow her from the penthouse into the elevator.
#
Adora woke up earlier than intended. She couldn’t remember anything from her dreams but her racing heart told her they hadn’t been good. She decided not to wallow, she had plenty to do and really wanted to get an early start on them while Finn was away. When she hadn’t slept well it was a better use of her time to work.
She dressed for the office and went into the kitchen to make coffee. She assumed it was too early for Swifty to want to get out of bed since he didn’t come to greet her like he usually did. She hadn’t even thought to check the time before she got up and dressed. She looked at the time and was surprised to see it was only 3 in the morning.
Adora gently touched the soft flowers that Catra got and it struck her for the first time that the carnations were pink. She hoped Catra hadn’t exchanged her own comfort for Adora’s.
Adora was so deep in her own thoughts that she jumped at the quiet sound of the penthouse door opening.
Adora looked up as Swifty burst into the room with excitement and went straight to his water bowl to drink his weight in refreshments. Adora looked at her dog with confusion before she looked back at the door.
Catra appeared in the entrance to the hallway, taking her earbuds out. She was wearing a black crop top and leggings with bright pink running shoes. She had her hair up and pulled away from her face in a way that Adora hadn’t seen before but she looked beautiful.
Catra was covered in sweat, glistening in the light from the kitchen as her tail swayed behind her contentedly. She put both her earbuds into their charging case before she looked up and noticed Adora. Catra’s eyes were sparkling from the exercise and her cheeks were pink.
Adora was sure she had never seen anything so beautiful in her whole life. Catra’s surprised expression turned into a slow smile before she walked further into the kitchen.
“Morning, you’re up early,” Catra commented and Adora realised that she had frozen in place. She was holding her coffee cup in mid air on its way to the coffee machine. She continued with her action quickly as she looked away from Catra.
“Morning. Yes, I thought I might get some work done,” she spoke too quickly and her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
“Did you not sleep well?” Catra asked curiously as she got a mug down to make her own coffee. Adora glanced over as Catra stretched on her toes to get the mug but quickly looked away before she was caught. She knew how to make Catra’s coffee the way she liked so she reached for her mug and Catra allowed her to take it. “Thanks,” Catra said with a smile, as their fingers brushed in the exchange.
“I slept enough. What has you up so early?” Adora asked, her heart was beating so fast that she wondered if she might never sleep again unless she could get it under control. She turned to focus on the task at hand.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Catra said with a shrug as she moved to lean on the counter near her. Adora felt heat trying to rise up her cheeks as her mind focused on Catra’s exposed midriff in the corner of her eye.
“Bad dreams?” Adora asked, forgetting her fluster to look curiously at Catra. They made eye contact but Catra quickly broke it before Adora could find the answers she was looking for.
“Something like that,” Catra said, and Adora noticed a deeper red coming to her cheeks as she glanced away.
“Does running help you with that?” Adora asked and Catra nodded. She found that no amount of exercise managed to stop her brain from spinning but she was happy it worked for Catra. Adora could at least focus on work, then her mind could make useful spirals.
“Sometimes. It helps to burn the energy at least,” Catra said carefully with another shrug. Adora felt like Catra didn’t want to answer her questions so she decided to drop the subject so Catra wasn’t uncomfortable.
“I find exercise very therapeutic, so I can relate,” Adora said with a smile before she handed Catra her coffee. Catra smiled gratefully and took the cup to hold between her smaller hands.
“You must have a lot of demons to fight,” Catra joked and Adora smirked slightly.
“What are you saying Catra?” Adora asked, feeling some pride at the thought of Catra noticing her hard work. Catra’s face blossomed with colour and she bit her lip as she looked down at her coffee. She was silent for a moment before she spoke into her mug.
“Sorry, that was inappropriate,” Catra apologised. Adora must have been more tired than she thought because it took Catra to remind her that Catra wasn’t just a beautiful woman living in her house, this was her employee.
“It’s fine. It was a nice compliment” Adora assured her and saw the way Catra’s lips twitched into a smile.
“I’m going to shower and try to get some more sleep, enjoy your work,” Catra said and Adora tried not to watch Catra leave the room, but her leggings were tighter than even her leather pants and she really only had so much willpower in a day. Now it was all used up before she even started.
“Hey Catra?” Adora said, not even sure what her brain would say when Catra turned back to look at her.
“Yeah?”
“I like your shoes,” Adora said with a little smile as Catra’s cheeks went red. It felt like an inside joke between them and even though Catra seemed embarrassed to have something in the colour she hated, Adora liked that they had this.
“It was the only colour they had in stock,” Catra defended adorably as she became visibly flustered. Adora just smiled a little wider before Catra huffed dramatically and walked away to shower.
She was so cute.
Adora felt more awake than ever as she went to her office to work. She hadn’t had even a sip of her coffee yet but the warm feeling in her chest was all the adrenaline she needed.
She realised too late that she hadn’t thanked Catra for the flowers. She wasn’t sure when she would have another chance in her busy week. She wanted to tell Catra ‘thank you’, but maybe it was better to show her gratitude instead.
Despite the early hour she decided to text Dee about getting Catra new running shoes that wouldn’t make her feel unwell. She wondered why Catra had bought them, but it didn’t matter. She had the means to fix this problem and so she would.
She would do just about anything to ensure Catra’s comfort.
#
Adora squinted tiredly at her laptop screen. It wasn’t late but she was exhausted. She came home for dinner but after it finished she had to return to the dark cave of her study. She hated that she had to cancel her ballet class with Finn this week, but they didn’t make a fuss.
Catra and Finn’s laughter floated through the door from the living room and it helped to relax the tension headache Adora had been suffering from all day.
Adora rubbed her forehead gently when she heard the kettle in the kitchen. She considered taking a break to make herself a cup of tea when her study door opened without a knock. She looked at the small figure that entered her room, back lit by the light from the hallway.
Adora hadn’t noticed how dark her office had gotten, maybe that’s why her eyes were hurting so much.
“Mama?” Finn asked, standing before her desk with a determined look on their face. Adora smiled encouragingly at Finn.
“Yes, Finny?” Adora asked gently, she always had time for her kitten. She pushed back from her desk and motioned for Finn to come closer. “Come sit with me, what did you need?” Adora asked. Finn followed her instructions and was scooped into her lap. Their brow was still crinkled with a hard set to it. They clearly had something on their mind.
“Can I have a birthday wish? I promise I won't ask for anything else. It’s big. Is that okay?” Finn asked and Adora tried to stop the way her stomach sank a little at their words. Nothing was too much for Finn, she would do anything for them. Adora’s fear returned, maybe Adam wasn’t the only one who thought she couldn’t give them everything they needed. Was she not doing enough?
“Anything for you Finny,” Adora reassured and she rubbed their back encouragingly. “What would you like?”Adora asked and Finn smiled.
“I want to visit Swiftwind with Miss Catra, can we do that?” Finn asked and although Adora would do anything for Finn, she couldn’t make someone else do the same. If Catra said no, Adora couldn’t and wouldn’t make her, even if she was Adora’s employee.
“We would have to ask Miss Catra, but we can definitely visit Swiftwind,” Adora said and Finn frowned as they balled their little hands into Adora’s shirt.
“Miss Catra said she would come with us. She promised,” Finn said, their voice getting louder as they became unusually emotional and Adora rubbed their back to sooth them.
“It’s okay, we can do it even if she can’t make it,” Adora reassured and Finn shook their head quickly.
“I don’t want to do it if she doesn’t come,” Finn said as they crossed their arms stubbornly and Adora smiled. They looked adorable and grumpy. It was rare for Finn to put their foot down about something and it made Adora proud that they knew what they wanted and would fight for it.
“Okay, let's ask her. We can go this weekend,” Adora offered. She hoped Catra would be more open to a weekend trip. Adora could give her time off during the week to make up for it. Adora hoped she didn’t already have plans, it was only two days notice. They might have to go for the weekend after Finn’s birthday if she was busy.
The already open door swung wider and Catra looked around in the darkness of the room. Her eyes grew dark as her pupils grew in the darkness to capture Adora and Finn sat in the light of her open laptop.
Catra smiled when she saw them and Adora felt her chest warm. Catra was always cute, but there was something about her big eyes that made Adora melt just as easily as she did when Finn looked at her like that.
“There you are, your hot chocolate is ready,” Catra said and Finn smiled excitedly. “Would you like tea, Adora?” Catra asked and Adora felt her stomach flutter when Catra said her name. Catra still said it rarely enough that it felt like a treat when she used it, but she was sure she would never get tired of hearing it.
“Yes please, I also have something to ask you, if you have a moment?” Adora asked and Catra nodded.
“Sure, let me get the drinks, I’ll be right back,” she said and true to her word she was only a minute before she returned with a tray of drinks. She put the tray on the desk to hand Adora and Finn their drinks before she took her own and sat on the chair across the desk from them.
“Thank you,” Adora said and Catra only smiled like it was nothing. Adora cleared her throat and thought about how to bridge the topic. Catra was patient as she sipped her drink and slowly a soft purr interrupted from Adora’s lap as Finn attempted to eat their marshmallow without touching it. Adora watched the marshmallow bobbing away from their little fangs as her chest felt like it was bursting with affection.
Adora looked at Catra to see a similar expression on her face as she watched Finn. It was impossible not to love Finn, but Adora felt a strange feeling wash over her as she realised just how much Catra cared for Finn.
“Finn has asked to go visit our family ranch this weekend for their birthday and would like you to come with us. I’m happy to pay you for the time and give you some weekdays off in exchange,” Adora offered and hoped Catra’s affection for Finn would stop her saying no and disappointing Finn.
“Ohhh, that’s what Finn meant.” Catra said with a little laugh. “Has this got something to do with horses?” Catra asked with a playful smile and Adora gave her a little smile in return.
“Yes, we have riding horses and a large property we can explore,” Adora said and saw the dark shadow of Catra’s tail flicking behind her. She wasn’t sure if that was a good flick or a bad flick in the dark but Catra still smiled.
“Sounds like fun, I’m in. But I don’t think you need to pay me for another holiday so soon,” she said with a grin and Finn bounced on Adora’s lap happily at the news.
“Yay!” Finn trilled and Adora grabbed their mug quickly as they attempted to ditch it at the table in their hast to get out her lap. Finn ran around the table and Catra helped them crawl into her lap as she put her own mug down with her other hand.
“It’s still work if you can’t do what you want to do on your weekend,” Adora said and Catra laughed as she looked up at Finn who was now standing on her lap and hugging around her neck. Adora felt her chest warm again as Catra’s smiling face turned towards her.
“Where else would I want to be on Finn’s birthday weekend?” Catra said and Adora couldn’t be more grateful.
#
Adora let out a long and slow sigh as she leaned back on her chair. Any hope she had held onto was slain by Entrapta and her surprisingly easy to follow presentation.
Adora knew everything about her company and she knew every product, but Entrapta was one of the few people who could stump her with details.
Entrapta was standing by the projection screen at the end of the large meeting table. The single word of her last slide was still on the screen in bright red letter art, “inoperative”.
Adam was going to be crushed and Adora didn’t know what she could do to fix this. Entrapta was silent, watching Adora’s face curiously as she waited for feedback on the slideshow.
Adora took a deep breath and sat forward instead of slouching into her high backed chair like a teenager. She sat tall and put away her personal feelings about the information and focused on Entrapta’s efforts so she could give her feedback about her report.
“Great job Entrapta, that was a very comprehensive presentation,” Adora started and Entrapta beamed. “I like the layout you used for your slides. I think you did well to present the information in an easy to understand and clear way,”
“Thank you, you told me it was too complicated last time,” Entrapta agreed, nodding her head and Adora smiled.
“I did but to be fair, you showed that presentation in code, so I think it was too complex for most of us,” Adora said and Entrapta nodded in understanding. Not everyone could read code the way Entrapta did, it was like code was her first language.
“Did you like the animations? I tried to make it friendly,” Entrapta asked.
“I did, I think you would need to change the word-art if you were going to present this to the board, but otherwise you did great to take on the points I gave you last time,” Adora said, the word-art was a little juvenile and maybe accidentally condescending in a way that the board would not appreciate.
“Am I presenting it to the board?” Entrapta asked, looking confused.
“No. I just meant, could not use the word-art in something you might present to the board,” Adora clarified.
“Ah, I see, how do you feel about the information?” Entrapta asked and Adora sighed before putting her face in her hands. She took a moment to consider how she was feeling. She wasn’t sure. She had tried not to get her hopes up, but she was still disappointed. She wanted this so badly for Adam and she felt like she was letting him down.
“Disappointed, I guess,” Adora said, lifting her head and sitting back again.
“It is fascinating research, I would enjoy delving deeper into it, personally” Entrapta nodded her head and Adora smiled. She knew Entrapta wanted to work on it, but they needed a launching point or the research would take years to complete.
Entrapta clicked out of her presentation and turned off the projector. “My friend was working on this research in Dryl, but he stopped,” Entrapta said and Adora blinked at her. She wasn’t sure if she was more surprised that Entrapta had someone she called a friend, or that she knew someone working on this project. She said she had an inside source for this information. Was it a direct source?
“Wait, can we go back a second,” Adora asked, putting her head in her hands for a moment to collect her thoughts. Too much was running through her mind. She was trying to get everything done before her trip so she could relax, but the looming deadline was causing extra stress.
“Which part?” Entrapta asked, looking confused. Adora lifted herself up again and took a deep breath. She tried to quiet her mind so she could take in the extra information she was about to receive. Adora knew she should stop trying to hold everything in her head and start writing things down to clear her cluttered brain but that would be a huge undertaking and she didn’t have time.
“Your friend works on this project?” Adora insisted and Entrapta tipped her head.
“Yes, he did. He quit,” Entrapta said and Adora sat forward, trying not to be too eager.
“He quit this project? Why? When?” Adora asked and Entrapta looked mildly worried.
“Yes, he quit. Should I be concerned about your processing? Are you not sleeping again?” Entrapta asked, tilting her head curiously before she glanced down at She-Ra. Adora pushed down her feelings of being judged, she knew Entrapta didn’t mean it like that.
“Yes, I’m sleeping. I just need more information, can you please explain?” Adora asked, changing methods when she reminded herself who she was talking to.
“Ah, right.” Entrapta said, grabbing the only papers she had brought into the room with her. It had been sitting in front of her on the desk during the whole presentation but she never once looked at it until now. Entrapta glanced over the first page of the small stack of papers in her hand.
“My friend used to work at Horde Military Bio Mechanics which is the facility that is attempting to make this chip. He quit one month ago and since then the project has stagnated. The research has been his life’s work and most of the chip is his design due to his own struggles with physical ailments. Horde discovered his chip and wanted to build on it for military use. He was fine with that as long as he had control over its application. Horde agreed but later changed their mind and when they tried to adjust their agreement, he left to continue his own independent research,”
“He’s independent now?” Adora asked, her hope tentatively returning. If he was independent, they might be able to purchase his research or even collaborate on the chip's creation. Entrapta nodded her head, looking up from what Adora assumed was a report in her hands.
“What are you holding? Is that the report?” Adora asked, pushing back from the table and rising to step closer to her. Entrapta shook her head at Adora’s question, her purple pigtails dancing around her with the motion.
“No, when I was talking to my friend he expressed that he would be interested in working with Greyskull if you would consider him. But he asked that you please not hold his family against him,” Entrapta said, putting the papers against her chest so Adora couldn’t see them. Adora looked at her curiously before she frowned.
“What do you mean? What is his name?” Adora asked, as she realised she hadn’t thought to ask. Instead of answering, Entrapta held out the document that Adora realised wasn’t a report, but a resume. Adora’s stomach dropped when she saw the name at the top of the page, in black and white.
It read: Harold Primus.
#
Adora paced from one end of her office to the other, the window flashing the late afternoon light as she moved up and back along her path. The rhythm of her steps helped to calm her racing mind and let her consider the information she had been given.
Entrapta had been right to be cautious of that family name but she had been friends with Harold - ‘Hordak’ she called him - for years. They had been friends for much longer than Hank Primus had even been on the board of directors. He wasn’t as old as some of the board members, only about middle aged. Entrapa knew that Adora would want as much information about Harold as possible to even consider hiring him.
Harold was one of three brothers, triplets. Harold was the middle child, Hank being a full ten minutes his senior. Adora didn’t know Hank was a triplet, but until recently he wasn’t on her radar and she hadn’t looked into his background or family.
She knew about his business, Primus and Primus. Which helped large companies avoid, reduce and pay government issued fines for not following the law. They were an important part of the business world, but not one Adora had ever had to utilise.
Adora never considered who the other Primus was in that title. She half expected that Primus’ ego was so large that he needed to say his name twice.
According to Entrapta, the other Primus was William, but he preferred to go by ‘Wally’. He was the ‘good cop’ to Hank’s ‘bad cop’ method of dealing with litigation.
Adora turned at the window and walked back the way she came. Her head down and her eyes following the even pacing of her feet.
The only reason she was even considering this was because of Adam. This was the break they needed to start their own research but Adora was worried.
What if this was a setup to get one of Primus’ brothers into Greyskull?
Was this how Hank planned to get his hands on She-Ra?
Stealing company secrets was a crime and all her employees signed non-disclosure agreements but who better to talk their way out of jail than someone who did it for a living?
Was she being paranoid or logical? She couldn’t tell anymore. There was too much in her head. She needed more information and she really didn’t have time to get it before she had to leave.
Adora glanced at her computer to check the time. She had forty minutes before she needed to leave and pick up Catra and Finn from the house and get to the airport.
Adora’s stomach twisted when she thought of flying. She really didn’t need this stress right before she had to be in the air trapped in a metal box.
She tried to take some deep breaths and think. What was her next logical step? Entrapta would have a full file on Harold ‘Hordak’ Primus by Monday so she could better consider his application. There was nothing more she could do without information.
Adora stopped pacing and let out a slow breath. She was torn between calling Adam and keeping him in the dark for the time being. If she had to let him down, she would rather do it once. He had his hopes up but that research wasn’t viable so she didn’t want to give him hope in Harold if she couldn’t trust him enough to hire him. Harold could be another dead end.
Adora hated keeping secrets from Adam. They weren’t as close as they used to be because of her schedule, but he was her twin and he meant the world to her.
If she had more time she would go to his house and talk through the whole thing, but that would have to wait until next week, because she promised to take Finn and Catra to the ranch.
Adora hadn’t asked Dee for appropriate clothing for Catra on this trip but she was aware that they bought Catra her new running shoes already. Adora hoped she liked them.
It was hard to find gear for the ranch in the city and Catra needed special boots to be around the horses. Adora knew that once they landed they could get the things they needed in town before they went to the ranch. This way she could avoid telling Dee about her trip.
Adora didn’t need Dee asking more questions than they already were. She had a whole work chat filled with messages she was ignoring from them. Dee didn’t always need a response, sometimes it was just a string of consciousness. They would send her pictures of outfits that they thought would suit her and she would react with a thumbs up or thumbs down emoji and it would appear in her wardrobe. It didn’t always matter if she gave something a thumbs down, sometimes it would end up in her wardrobe regardless.
Dee was a strong believer that feeling good in your skin meant every layer had to be impeccable. Which meant Adora had a large collection of far too fancy sets of lingerie that she ignored. Adora preferred to wear her sports bras under most of her office outfits, she was a mum, so fancy underwear wasn’t high on her list of importance.
No one was going to see her underwear but her anyway, so it didn’t matter.
#
At exactly five on the dot, Adora’s car pulled up out front of Greyskull. Mermista asked to be dropped off on her way to pick up Catra and Finn since she lived on the way to Adora’s penthouse so she agreed. Adora did wonder if Mermista had ulterior motives for carpooling when she sat in the front seat and let the driver talk her ear off.
Adora was already a bundle of nerves so she put up the divider and ignored her employees while staring out the window. Traffic was backed up and it was a crawl to get to Mermista’s and the penthouse in rush hour.
Adora let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when they pulled up and she could see Catra and Finn waiting inside the building with security and Juliet. Adora smiled, despite the tinted windows when Catra spotted the car and quickly collected their bags to come outside.
Catra had chosen to dress for comfort, wearing leggings and a baggy t-shirt that made her look adorable and sleepy. They were taking a late flight so they could sleep - or not sleep - on the plane.
Adora got out of the car to help Finn get buckled in while Juliet helped Catra put the bags in the boot. Finn was already in their horse print pyjamas and holding the wooden toy Catra bought them. They said it was their travel toy, and Adora couldn’t argue since it was much easier to pack than the huge penguin they had gotten for being good at the dentist.
Since the first time Adora accidentally ordered the smaller car and it hadn’t been a problem she hadn’t specified the size again. They were in a smaller car today, which meant Catra would sit in the middle between Finn’s car seat and Adora.
Catra was distracted trying to finish her conversation with Juliet before she got into the car. Juliet wouldn’t be coming with them to the airport this time because they wouldn’t be going through security and instead driving straight onto the tarmac.
Catra had one hand on the car and the other motioning as she spoke. Once she finished exchanging goodbyes Catra stepped off the curb and stumbled a little on the uneven surface.
Adora didn’t think before she grabbed Catra’s hand to steady her and Catra laughed at herself before she used Adora’s hand to get into the car.
Adora looked at Juliet to see her mischievous smile as she watched Adora. Her expression said far too much about what she wanted to say. Adora felt flustered and a little caught, she glared at her aunt to keep quiet before bidding her goodbye and joining Catra and Finn in the car.
Finn quickly fell asleep in the car but Catra seemed much more excited and awake than their last drive to the airport. Adora was relieved they wouldn’t have to deal with the press or security since they were using her private jet.
She wasn’t a big fan of flying. Her fear of heights easily translated into a fear of falling and she hated not being in control of her environment. It was a perfect recipe for disaster. Large planes were a little better, but there was a reason Adora didn’t use her private jet to travel very often. The smaller the plane, the worse the turbulence and it grated on her already frayed nerves until her body was twisted tight with stress.
The ranch was in the middle of nowhere, about eighteen hours by car from the nearest major airport. The small plane could land on the local airstrip which was used by emergency services to help the families living remotely.
It was the best way to get Finn what they wanted, and not take up too much of Catra’s time. But Adora was a ball of anxiety as they arrived at the airport. They were waved through by security onto the service road and they drove to the hanger where Adora’s jet was kept.
The car parked and Adora had to force herself to move without shaking. She was an adult and she knew her fear was silly, so she just had to force her way through it.
Finn was still asleep and didn’t stir when Adora lifted them out of their car seat. The staff unloaded the car and she watched Catra talking with the driver as she cradled Finn in her arms to sooth her own panic.
The jet had a small staircase from the tarmac to the door and Adora let Catra walk ahead of her. Catra made it clear that she hadn’t expected the private plane and was looking at it with wide eyed curiosity. Adora would have enjoyed watching Catra’s big eyes taking in the new experience if Adora wasn’t filled with so much tension.
“Wow,” Catra said. She was already at the top of the stairs and looking inside the cabin but Adora was still standing firmly on the ground, trying to force her legs to move. Catra disappeared into the plane to explore but when Adora took too long to move Catra reappeared at the door.
Catra’s curious eyes were now on her and it made Adora feel transparent. Adora cleared her throat and gripped the hand railing too tightly as she finally got herself to walk up the stairs. She hoped Catra thought that Adora’s vice-like grip was because she was holding Finn and not because of the terror she was feeling about their imminent flight.
“Are you okay?” Catra asked, her eyes focusing into slits as she looked at Adora’s face. Adora cleared her throat, trying to force air into her lungs as she reached the doorway to the jet. She could do this, she had to do this.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice sounding raspy as she forced herself to speak without letting her feelings bubble up with her words. Catra didn’t seem convinced but she reached out to take Finn from Adora. Adora didn’t want to let them go, holding them made her feel better, even if they were already asleep.
“I’ll put them on the bed,” Catra said and Adora had no good reason to stop her. Catra took Finn into her arms and they were still dead to the world. Adora stepped out of the way of the door to allow the hostesses to bring their luggage into the cabin. She felt out of place in her own jet, but she didn’t know what else to do.
Catra wasn’t gone long, appearing from the bedroom door and closing it quietly. Adora was relieved that at least Finn wouldn’t have to witness her ridiculous reaction to flying.
Adora hadn’t been in this jet since Melody wanted a shopping trip in Mystacor. She had gotten plenty of use out of it when travelling for her photo shoots, but Adora was an inconveniently bad flyer, so Melody often didn’t want her to come on her trips.
Adora had been doing well not to think about Melody, or the new information she had learned at the Gala. She didn’t want to think about it, so keeping herself busy kept it off her mind.
Catra was here now, and Adora had sleeping pills that could help her ride out most of the flight. She would never take them if it was just her and Finn, but she knew Catra would care for Finn if they needed something while she was unconscious.
“They didn’t even twitch, they are really sleeping deep,” Catra said playfully and Adora forced an uncomfortable smile. She hadn’t moved another inch since she got out of the way for the hostesses. Catra squinted at her suspiciously and glanced at the staff.
Catra stepped closer to Adora, entering her personal space and causing Adora’s already panicked heart to race. Adora held her breath as Catra looked up at her with concern in her pretty eyes. Adora was only vaguely aware that the staff had stepped back out of the plane.
“Are you okay? You seem stressed,” Catra asked in a soft whisper and Adora nodded her head before Catra even finished the question.
“I’m fine,” Adora repeated but Catra didn’t look convinced. Catra bit her lip as she glanced at the door. Adora appreciated that Catra was so careful with Adora’s privacy.
“You know…it would be okay if you weren’t fine…” Catra started and Adora wanted to deny it again, but as she opened her mouth to protest Catra gently took her right hand. Adora felt her cheeks heat up at the contact but it was enough distraction for Catra to continue uninterrupted. “In fact, if we know what the problem is, it makes it much easier to fix,” Catra said, her eyes still on Adora’s face. Adora closed her mouth once she realised it was still open and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
Adora wondered if this was how Catra got Finn to admit their fears. Adora felt childish so it made sense for Catra to treat her like a child.
Adora wanted to trust Catra with this, and her gentleness made her feel like she could. Catra hadn’t judged her for her fear of heights and each time she expected ridicule Catra took a completely different approach. Adora had never admitted her fear to anyone in her family. When she travelled as a kid she just sucked it up because she didn’t want to be a burden.
Catra was waiting, giving Adora time to think while she stroked her hand gently with her thumb. Adora had forgotten they were holding hands but it was soothing and already doing wonders to calm her nerves. Adora felt the heat in her face but it was far from the panic she had been feeling before, this heat was completely Catra’s doing.
“I don’t like flying,” Adora whispered so softly that Catra’s ears twitched to capture the sound. Melody would have scoffed, told Adora she was being ridiculous and how Adora’s fear was embarrassing. Melody would have made it about herself.
Catra just smiled gently and squeezed Adora’s hand.
“Thank you for telling me. That is a really common and understandable feeling. How much don’t you like it?” Catra asked and Adora felt like she could breathe again when the weight of her fear was shared. Maybe her fear of flying was made worse because of her fear of being judged for being afraid. Adora felt warmth spreading in her chest as she looked at Catra, slowly replacing the tension clutching her heart.
“I hate it. Especially small planes. I have pills that I can take. If you don’t mind watching Finn?” Adora asked, feeling shy and vulnerable. She was rewarded for her honesty with a smile from Catra and gently squeezed to her hand.
“I can absolutely do that, when should you take them?” Catra asked and Adora checked her phone for the time.
“Soon, they help me to relax, so I can sleep,”
“I might need to get some for my insomnia,” Catra joked and Adora smiled. “I’ll get you some water,” Catra said and released Adora’s hand before she walked over to a hostess to get a small bottle of water.
Adora got out her pills and when Catra offered her the opened bottle of water and she took the pills.
“Thank you,” Adora said, sure that those words could never be strong enough to express how much she appreciated Catra in that moment.
Catra smiled and looked Adora up and down for a moment. Adora was confused and tried not to blush at the appraisal.
“You should change into something more comfortable so you can sleep,” Catra said and Adora felt silly for thinking that Catra was looking at her with another kind of interest. Adora nodded, she had about ten minutes to get comfortable before she started to feel the effects.
She changed into her blue silk pyjamas and brushed her teeth. She would miss dinner but she could eat once they landed. She was too stressed for food right now.
“Do you want to sleep in the bed with Finn?” Catra asked,
“I don’t want to squish them if I move and don’t wake up. I’ll sit in the chairs,” Adora said, finding a chair that looked like it was for two people and sat down.
Adora buckled herself in and was surprised when Catra sat beside her at the window.
“What are you doing?” Adora asked and Catra smiled.
“Making sure you don’t fall off your chair,” Catra said playfully and Adora felt like she was pouting.
“I’m not going to do that,” Adora said and Catra shrugged.
“Don’t think I’m all selfless, or anything. I get cold on planes,” Catra said and Adora bit her cheek to stop herself from smiling at the adorable admission. Catra had spent the last flight snuggled with Finn under the blankets but Adora thought that was for Finn’s benefit rather than Catra trying to steal their warmth.
“That’s fine, I run hot,” Adora said with a smile and Catra looked at her from under her eyelashes for a moment.
“I know,” Catra said and Adora felt her cheeks warm. They never talked about the night they lost power on their snow trip and cuddled. Adora thought about it often when she couldn’t sleep, but Catra’s comment was the closest they had gotten to mentioning it to each other.
Adora could feel her medication starting to work and blamed that for the fluttering in her chest. There was a long gap in her memory after that and she assumed she was asleep.
She woke slowly, the hum of the plane under her reminded her where she was. Catra hadn’t left when Adora slept. Adora didn’t need to open her eyes to know Catra was there. She could feel Catra’s curls under her cheek and feel something warm and soft under her hand. Catra had sat on her left, so She-ra was never going to offer her any warmth, which was why Adora wasn’t surprised to feel Catra tucked against her side.
“Excuse me,” Catra’s soft voice penetrated her sleepy brain and she jolted a little confused. Catra’s soft hand touched her cheek to sooth her.
“Shh, you’re okay,” Catra said and gently guided Adora’s head to rest against her again. Adora didn’t fight it, she was comfortable and didn’t want to wake up if the plane was still in flight. Adora heard the person Catra was actually talking to, one of the staff, respond to her.
“Can you bring her dinner in like thirty minutes?” Catra asked and Adora made a soft ‘mm’ sound at the thought of food, but she was still too tired to rouse herself any further.
“Sure, we’ll be landing in about an hour,” the hostess said and Catra responded before sitting back into Adora’s body fully.
Adora had the urge to pet the warmth below her hand but her body wasn’t listening as it gently squeezed. She wasn’t really awake, but the pills were wearing off. She wanted to sleep a little longer.
“Who knew you were so handsy without a kitten to hold,” Catra’s playful voice reached into her sleepy mind and made her think of Finn. Was she holding Finn? That was bad. Adora couldn’t hold Finn with She-Ra, she couldn’t remember why, but she knew she couldn’t. Catra was taking care of Finn, so Finn must be safe. Catra loved Finn and Adora loved that Catra loved Finn.
“Kitten,” Adora mumbled and heard a soft gasp as she snuggled into the bundle she held in her arms.
Comments
Cali Jester
Good lord this was so sweet.
Lisra
That was adorable and also ohhhh plot. I forget there's stuff in the background that isn't just Adora expanding her family xD getting catras perspective later will be fun!
