boxitup | (no subject)

"Catra! Stop it, it's for your own good! Ow!"

At the end of a long day of training, Adora is tired, sore, and wants little more than to take a shower and throw herself onto her bed. Wrangling a furious Catra into the showers with her was not on the agenda tonight, until a bot that hadn't been fixed quite right (thanks, Kyle) sprung a leak and sprayed them both with motor oil.

Now, the issue with Catra is that she's willing to shower exactly twice weekly, and both opportunities have passed. But Adora is not going to let her walk around reeking of motor oil until Monday. She's got her arms full of Catra and she's not letting go, no matter how Catra squirms, scratches, bites. In the ten minutes since she's initiated this endeavor, Adora has barely made it two steps into the showers, but her dedication to the cause and can-do attitude have always been cited as two of her strongest points as a cadet.

As they struggle and yell, Lonnie steps around the two of them on her way to the sleeping quarters, and offers Adora a sympathetic nod: "Good luck."

Adora grits her teeth.

"Look! In the time you've spent throwing your tantrum, Lonnie's already finished showering! We could've been done here!"

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Adora bundles her up, and Catra finds herself having to stifle something that might have been a laugh. It comes out as a hot huff of air instead, as Adora seems to find a ridiculous amount of energy stored somewhere in her, and Catra's ear flicks rapidly as Adora's face brushes it with every nuzzle.

(And Adora's excitement and glee must be contagious, because that warmth is making Catra feel -- kind of giddy, like it's feeding off of Adora's nonsense.)

"Adora," she whispers back, letting her voice drop low into an amused rumble, her tail twitching as it tries to contribute and then gives up. Adora's just so stupid. She's such an idiot. She's making Catra feel like they're playing some sort of game, when all she's doing is laying on top of her and trying to stay awake. "Ador-a," she repeats; dragging the syllables like a toy, seeing how low her voice can go before she cuts herself off with a snigger. Adora's so dumb, she's making Catra dumb. She's gonna rile them both up and get them caught. "Go to sleep, dummy."

"Nooo," Adora lets out a whine, though it's hard to sound properly petulant with the affection and humor clinging to her voice. She sways from side to side, taking Catra with her. "But I like staying up with you."

--And she feels like she's been talking into Catra's hair for a while, now. She misses her face. Wedging her hand under Catra's chin, she insistently nudges it upward. "Hey. Hey. Look over here."

Catra's breath just comes in more and more huffs and puffs of amusement, trying so hard to keep from actually laughing as Adora rocks her. The idiot really is going to get them busted.

She resists Adora's hand at first, hunkering down further; but the silent giggles are getting to her, and eventually Catra has to let Adora nudge her face up.

"You're so stupid," she breathes; and then presses her lips together again. She manages to hold a straight face for half a second before she's grinning, because Adora's idiocy is just. Really infectious, okay. And she's just -- she's really pretty, with her sparkling eyes and goofy smile, and she's relaxed for the first time in... well, ever. Catra knew that getting off would chill Adora out, but this much? She's kind of really enjoying the change.

"Just a little," Adora lightheartedly concedes, and her fingers curl under Catra's chin to rub at the fur there.

The sight of Catra's smile makes her own widen, so much that it pushes out her cheeks, squints her eyes. She leans her forehead to hers, touches their tips of their noses together, just-- wants all of her touching all of Catra. It feels like something she's allowed to want now, after tonight. A newly opened door, that she'd never even realized was there.

Her lips come to brush Catra's cheek, unthinkingly, just an idle sort of roaming. But she likes it, likes the warm glow of Catra's flushed face beneath her lips, and Adora nuzzles into it instinctively. From her cheek to her jaw, then back up again. This is nice. She could stay like this for a while.

"... You take good care of me," she mumbles finally, paired with a quiet exhale. "Thank you."

There's nobody awake to see, so Catra lets herself lean into Adora's hand at her chin, lets the curl and rub of her fingers draw out the quiet purr from her chest. Adora's forehead touches hers, their noses brushing - and it's such a familiar, them thing to do that Catra's eyes drift slowly shut, and then reopen half-lidded in contentment.

Then Adora's lips tickle her cheek, and Catra's face scrunches in protest as the laughter tries to rise up in her again. She's too tired to fight Adora, so she stays there, squirming with every ticklish move and huffing laughs against her ear. When they have their private rooms, this is what they'll do, all the time. They'll climb up the ranks of the Horde during the day, and at night, they'll lay together - just like this - and Catra will let herself laugh as loudly as Adora can make her.

She can't stop the prick of her ears at Adora's mumble, or the feeling of accomplishment they urge within her. It's not often that people recognize when Catra's done something well, but Adora always notices. Sometimes it feels insulting, sometimes it annoys her; but right now it's just. Nice.

"We take care of each-other," she murmurs in response, nuzzling back against her. How stupid the two of them must look, just rubbing their faces together like this while Catra purrs. But it feels good, feels happy and light and. Whatever, you know? It's just the two of them right now. Catra doesn't have to care about anything else.