Work Text:
1.
“Just go over there and talk to her!”
“I can’t!”
“Oh my god,” Glimmer groaned, leaning over and shoving Adora in the direction of the girl she’d been drooling over for the last three years, “do it. You were allowed to pine after her pathetically before you were out. But now it’s just sad.”
“Glimmer,” Bow said pointedly, “Adora’s never asked a girl out before. Give her some time.”
“No, she’s right,” Adora admitted, “this is pathetic.”
She glanced over the cafeteria at the girl, the one who was essentially her gay awakening. Catra Driluth sat at a lunch table with a couple of her friends, flicking through a novel with one hand while she slowly ate a bag of chips with the other.
She wasn’t even doing anything interesting, but Adora was enamored. Catra was so beautiful it hurt . She never seemed to have a bad hair day; her brunette curls were always perfectly messy in a way that looked like she’d spent hours making it look like that. Her golden-brown skin was always flawless, her perfect nose dusted with those cute little freckles that reminded Adora of the constellations. And her eyes were like supernovas, one a gorgeous honey amber and the other an icy sapphire.
Catra was perfection incarnate, and it was incredibly intimidating.
Adora didn’t know why Catra had such an effect on her. Besides the obvious too gay to function reason. Adora had always been relatively extroverted and confident, but something about Catra made her a nervous wreck. She’d said maybe three words total to the other girl in the last three years of high school, and each time Adora had pretty much forgotten how to speak English.
“Okay, think of it this way,” Glimmer said, “you’re hot.”
Adora snorted, but then realised Glimmer was completely serious. “What? How is that going to help?”
“You’re telling me you haven’t noticed all of the girls checking you out since you came out?” Glimmer shook her head and murmured, “honestly, you’re hopeless.”
“Okay, Glimmer, you’re off pep-talk duty,” Bow said, and then flashed Adora a gentle smile, “just be yourself, and I’m sure Catra will say yes. She’s gay, right?”
“Yeah,” Glimmer nodded, “she dated Lonnie last year, remember?”
“Then you have the same chance anyone else would have,” Bow said, and added, “and Glimmer’s right. Objectively, you’re hot. So if anything, you have an advantage.”
Adora wasn’t too sure about all of that, but it was at least a relief to know for sure that Catra was into girls. Nothing would be worse than a crush on a straight girl.
“Okay,” she said, standing up before she could change her mind, “I’m going for it.”
“Finally!” Glimmer announced, but when Bow elbowed her, she smiled sheepishly and said, “uh, I mean, good luck.”
Adora tried to push the nervous butterflies away as she walked over to Catra’s lunch table, but she was unsuccessful. An anxious weight rose up in her chest, and she knew she’d already turned at least pink, if not on her way to red.
By the time she thought about turning back, Adora was already standing at the table, and Catra was right there, and she and her friends were looking at Adora expectantly.
All the confidence flushed out of her, Adora managed a quiet, “uh, hi, Catra.”
Catra frowned. That wasn’t a good sign. She glanced at her friends confusedly before she answered.
“Uh, hey, Adora.”
She knows my name, Adora celebrated internally, but then she realised what she came over here to do, took in Catra’s confused demeanor, and understood just how weird it would be if she asked Catra out right now.
“You’re in my calculus class, right?” Adora blurted out, like she didn’t know that Catra sat at the desk in front of her, and like she didn’t spend most of calculus staring at the back of her head.
“Um, yeah,” Catra nodded, “have been all year.”
“Right,” Adora felt heat rising up her neck and flooding into her cheeks, and she knew she needed to get out of here. “Did you know if–um, if we needed to bring the homework in today?”
She was a little impressed at her quick thinking, less impressed by her delivery. It was mostly just word vomit.
“Oh,” Catra seemed to lighten a little, or at least she looked less confused. Her friends resumed whatever they were talking about, and Adora relaxed slightly without the audience. “No, it’s not due until Wednesday.”
“Okay,” Adora said, and lingered awkwardly for a few moments, “um, thanks.”
She turned on her heel and speed-walked back to Bow and Glimmer before she could make things any awkwarder. As soon as she sat back at the safety of their table, she slammed her head down against it and groaned.
“She said no?” Bow asked, rubbing her back comfortingly.
“I didn’t even ask,” Adora murmured, “I chickened out and ended up asking her about homework. ”
“Oh my god,” Glimmer laughed, but when Adora looked up and glared at her, she added, “I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”
“No, it was,” Adora said, “but at least she knows my name.”
“You’ll just have to try again,” Bow said, “hey, maybe she’ll be at Mermista’s party next Friday. A little liquid confidence might help.”
“Yeah,” Adora answered, completely unenthusiastically, “maybe.”
She chanced a look back over at Catra again. She was back to reading her book, completely oblivious to Adora’s crisis.
Maybe that was for the best.
2.
“Another shot?”
“Why not?” Adora giggled, and she knew that she’d maybe already had one too many shots already. But when Mermista offered one out, she took it and knocked it back.
Glimmer took hers too, and Adora threw her arm around her best friend’s shoulder and grinned.
“Glimmer!” Adora announced, smiling ear to ear, “you know, you’re my best friend. Well, you and Bow, but still.”
“Damn, you’re drunk drunk,” Glimmer laughed, “haven’t you only had like, three shots?”
“Whatever, I’m a lightweight, leave me alone,” Adora pouted, “Bow’s my only best friend now.”
“Ordinarily I’d object to bullying like that,” Bow said as he rejoined them, sipping on a can of coke, “but I like the best friend title.”
“Okay, I’m breaking up with you,” Glimmer pouted, but then her expression changed to something like a smirk, “oh, look who it is.”
Adora followed her gaze, and she blamed the shot she’d taken when her heartbeat quickened in her chest. Catra was in the corner, leaning against a wall, talking to someone. She looked so beautiful that Adora’s brain forgot how to work, and then it started working overtime when she realised who Catra was talking to.
Lonnie was beside her, smiling. And Glimmer’s words from the other week repeated in Adora’s mind.
“She dated Lonnie last year, remember?”
Catra was cordially talking to her ex at a party. More than cordially, actually. Both of them looked pretty engaged in the conversation, anyway.
A sober Adora would’ve taken the lost, buried it, and maybe cried when she got home. But drunk Adora’s confidence was always dialed up to eleven.
“I’m going over there,” she decided aloud, “shooting my shot.”
Bow, being the only sober friend, shook his head. “Uh, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Ignore him,” Glimmer said, “do it, do it, do it!”
“Yeah,” Adora nodded and high fived Glimmer, before she made sure her hair looked right in her vague reflection in the refrigerator. “I’m going!”
Ignoring Bow’s concerned call of, “Adora, wait,” Adora took another shot from the kitchen counter and pushed her way through the crowds of classmates to Catra.
“...I still can’t believe you did that,” Lonnie was saying, “such a dick move, honestly.”
“Whatever, I was young and immature,” Catra replied, shrugging, “so anyway, how’s–”
“Hey,” Adora said loudly, dragging out the ‘e’ and attempting to lean casually against the wall like she was way cooler than she actually was, “what’s up, Catra? How are you? Are you enjoying the party?”
Catra and Lonnie both turned to her, and then they exchanged an amused glance. If she were sober, Adora would’ve read into that, but because she wasn’t, she didn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m going to go find Kyle and Rogelio,” Lonnie said, “have fun.”
“Later,” Catra said, and then Adora had all of her attention. “What’s up, Gray?”
Adora giggled to herself. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush, twirling her hair in front of the prettiest girl in school. “You know my name,” she blurted out embarrassingly.
“We have been going to school together for almost four years,” Catra pointed out, and Adora hummed, “so what’s up?”
“Nothing much, nothing much,” Adora said in a terrible attempt at casual, “just, you know, hanging out.”
She attempted to lean against the wall again, overestimated where she was, and nearly fell over. Catra laughed, and even drunk Adora was a little mortified.
“You’re cute,” Catra said, and Adora’s brain decided to stop working for a few moments, “how’s soccer, anyway?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m on the team,” Adora said, and then realised Catra clearly knew that. She felt herself blushing and murmured, “sorry, I’m a little drunk.”
“I figured,” Catra said, holding up her own cup, “I’m the designated sober friend tonight. Scorpia needed to get a little messy to talk to Perfuma. Not that it’s helping.”
Catra nodded over to Scorpia, who was clearly rambling at Perfuma. Adora had never felt more in common with Scorpia before, and she nearly admitted that, but thankfully held her tongue. Instead, she asked something equally stupid.
“So, um, you and Lonnie, huh?” Adora said, “are you guys getting back together?”
“Depends who’s asking,” Catra answered, and Adora almost spiraled wondering what the hell that meant. But then Catra smiled, shrugged and shook her head. “Nah. That was just an awkward first relationship, you know? What about you? Still hanging out with that Sea Hawk idiot?”
Adora cringed. In the period of time where she knew she was gay, but completely in denial, she’d awkwardly ‘dated’ Sea Hawk for a little while. But then he tried to kiss her, she panicked, and blurted out she was - direct quote - a massive lesbian.
“Uh, no,” Adora shook her head, “I didn’t–I was a little confused and I didn’t really realise–well, I did realise, but… I’m really, really gay.”
Catra laughed. Like, actually, genuinely laughed. And sure, maybe she was laughing at Adora, but Adora took it as a win anyway.
“I guess that’s one way to put it,” Catra said, and Adora shrugged, “hey, actually, I meant to ask, are you going to the–”
“Wildcat, we need to get out of here!” Scorpia ran over at the worst possible moment, and Adora outwardly groaned.
She knew that Catra heard, and she saw the amused smile on her face. But Catra didn’t continue asking her question. Instead, she looked at Scorpia and asked, “what’d you do?”
“I spilled my drink on her,” Scorpia said, “my drink , Catra. Oh my god, that did not go well at all.”
“Hopeless,” Catra laughed gently, shaking her head, and it almost reminded Adora of Glimmer, with a hint of Bow’s warmth. But then Catra looked back at her, and Adora’s stomach flipped. “I should get this one home. See you around, Adora.”
Before Adora could ask her anything, even just for her phone number, Catra was leading Scorpia towards the door.
3.
“How’s school going?”
Adora slammed her head into her hands and groaned in reply.
Mara laughed. “I’ll take that as not good. ”
“I mean, school is fine,” Adora said, sitting up and looking between her aunts. Hope was folding laundry and Mara was waiting for Adora’s reply patiently, sipping on a mug of tea. “It’s just–there’s this girl.”
“Ooh, a girl,” Hope grinned, looking up from the laundry, “are you going to ask her out?”
“That’s the problem,” Adora sighed, “it’s like, whenever she’s near me, I forget how to function like a person. I bet she’s some kind of witch. She’s putting a spell on me for her own amusement.”
“That’s a little dramatic,” Mara chuckled, “it’s always going to be scary, asking your first crush out.”
“You don’t get it,” Adora said, “she’s like a mystical goddess of perfection and I’m just… me. Awkward old me.”
Mara frowned. “You’re not awkward. You’ve always been pretty confident.”
“That’s why I think she’s a witch.”
Hope laughed, dropping the sweater she was folding onto the pile. “Okay, how about we go out for dinner tonight? You can relax and maybe we can teach you some moves to use on the ladies.”
“Please never say moves on the ladies again,” Adora cringed, and Hope laughed, “but yeah. I guess dinner sounds nice.”
“Alright, just let me finish up and we’ll go out,” Hope said, “Mara, honey, could you take these upstairs?”
“Sure,” Mara stood up and grabbed a couple of piles of clothes. As she turned to head upstairs, she smiled reassuringly at Adora. “I’m sure this girl doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
Adora appreciated the optimism, but she honestly wasn’t sure. Catra was going to ask her something at the party, but she’d seen her around school since and Catra hadn’t said anything to her. Adora knew she remembered. After all, Catra had said herself that she was the sober friend that night. Maybe she thought that Adora didn’t remember.
Maybe Catra was going to ask her out, and Adora wrecked it by being drunk. But then if Adora asked her, and that wasn’t what it was, Adora would look like a total idiot.
She was starting to think that Glimmer was right. The other day, when she was complaining about Catra and how complicated she was, Glimmer had laughed, rolled her eyes, and said, “you know what your problem is, Adora? You think too much.”
She was definitely overthinking; Adora knew that. But she couldn’t help it. Catra was a complex human being with her own thoughts and feelings, and complex things needed to be overthought. Or at least thought about a little.
She was still worrying about it on the way to dinner, even as the hostess sat them down at their table. She barely even looked at the menu, and didn’t know what she wanted when–
“Hi, my name is Catra, I’ll be your server this evening. Can I get you guys started on drinks?”
Adora looked up and met Catra’s beautiful multicoloured eyes, and her heart felt like it stopped in her chest.
“Oh, hey, Adora,” Catra said, “haven’t seen you here before.”
Adora knew that her aunts had caught on immediately. It wasn’t hard to see how Adora felt about the beautiful goddess of a girl in front of her.
“Uh,” Adora started, ignoring her aunts’ encouraging looks, “my aunts picked the place. I didn’t know you worked here.”
“Yeah, for a couple years now,” Catra said, “saving up for college, you know? Anyway, do you know what you want to drink?”
Adora laughed awkwardly. “I guess I can’t get a vodka coke since you know how old I am.”
“I’d let it slide if your aunts will,” Catra smirked, and Adora nearly died.
“Not happening,” Mara said, even though Hope looked like she was going to say yes, “you can have a vodka coke, hold the vodka. And we’ll have two glasses of the sauvignon blanc.”
“Okay,” Catra noted that down and then tucked the pencil behind her ear, seemingly unaware of how hot that was, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
As Catra left, Adora chanced a look over the table at her aunts. They were both smiling at her - well, Hope was more smirking - and she rolled her eyes and muttered, “get it over with.”
“You did okay,” Mara said encouragingly, “she seems like she likes you.”
“She’s cute,” Hope teased, “you’re lucky you are too, otherwise she’d be way out of your league.”
“I feel like she’s completely out of my league anyway,” Adora sighed and shook her head, “she’s perfect.”
“Nobody’s perfect,” Mara said, “and if you really like her, you’ll know that.”
“Mara,” Adora said seriously, “she’s not just pretty, she’s incredibly smart. Like, everyone knows she’s going to be valedictorian. She’s probably going to Harvard or Yale or something in the fall.”
Mara didn’t get chance to reply, because Catra came back with the drinks and placed them down. “Are you guys ready to order?”
Mara and Hope both ordered, and Adora realised she hadn’t looked at the menu at all. Completely stumped, she blurted out, “chicken nuggets,” and then realised that if they did have them, they were probably on the kid’s menu. Catra was the super smart gorgeous genius, and Adora was the idiot ordering off the kid’s menu.
Catra laughed. “You sure?”
At first, Adora thought she was replying to what she was thinking, and then realised what she was actually asking and scooped up the menu.
“Um, no,” Adora said, “what’s good here?”
“I like the chicken parm,” Catra said, “but if you like spice, the arrabiata is good.”
Adora, who thought KFC was spicy, shook her head. “I’ll just get the chicken parm.”
Catra noted that down, and before she turned to go, Adora stopped her. “Hey, Catra?”
“Hm?” Catra asked as she put her pencil back behind her ear. “What’s up?”
“At the party,” Adora started, knowing she could soon regret this, “you were going to ask me something. What was it?”
“Didn’t think you’d remember that. You were pretty dru–uh…” Catra glanced at Mara and Hope and settled on, “excited. And I was going to ask if you were going on the class trip to six flags.”
“Oh,” Adora said, a little disappointed, “yeah, I am.”
“I was going to room with Scorpia, but she ditched me for Perfuma. Apparently spilling drinks on someone is endearing, or something,” Catra laughed quietly, “so I’m out a roommate. Want to share?”
The disappointment disappeared, and Adora answered, “yes, I’d love that!” a little too enthusiastically.
She figured that would get the invitation rescinded, but instead Catra just smiled. “Cool. I’ll put us down on the sheet tomorrow at school. Anyway, I’ll go put your order in. Shout me if you need anything.”
Adora stared after her long after Catra disappeared into the kitchen, and didn’t realise until Hope nudged her leg under the table and laughed.
“Wipe the drool off your chin, kid.”
4.
Adora got on the bus, and the first thing she did was look for Catra.
It didn’t look like she was here yet, and Glimmer laughed at the miserable expression on her face. “Oh my god, she’s going to show up eventually.”
Bow and Glimmer took a seat towards the back, and Adora sat across the aisle, waiting for Catra. She was saving her a seat, hoping that the roommates thing would extend to class trip buddies. Even if nothing happened, she’d at least get a little closer to her. Maybe build a real friendship.
Every time someone entered the bus, Adora looked up hopefully. It wasn’t Catra every time, and eventually she stopped looking. Maybe it was a little dramatic, but Adora started to think she wasn’t coming.
She was looking down at her phone, wishing she had Catra’s number to ask her where she was, when someone sat down next to her.
“Oh, that seat’s saved–” Adora started, but cut herself off when she realised who it was. “Huntara. Oh, hey.”
“Sup, blondie,” Huntara said, dumping her bag down by her feet. “Nobody’s sitting here, right?”
Ordinarily, Adora would’ve said yes. But Huntara was crazy intimidating, and Adora liked her limbs attached to her body. So she shook her head and ignored Bow and Glimmer’s looks in her direction.
Not two minutes later, she saw Catra get onto the bus. Catra met her gaze, nodded in hello, and then took a seat further forwards next to Entrapta. Adora sighed and pulled her headphones over her ears irritably.
It was like the universe had a plan against her or something.
The bus ride was agonizingly slow. Adora kept glancing despondently up towards the front, at the back of Catra’s head. When they finally arrived at the hotel, Huntara took forever to get up, so Adora couldn’t even walk into the hotel with Catra.
She rushed past everyone once she was finally off the bus, and was heading over to ask her teacher which room she was in when she heard Catra’s voice.
“Need to pee or something?”
Adora turned around to see Catra holding up a room key. She was smirking, like she knew the effect she had on Adora, and if Adora was being realistic, Catra probably did.
“Um, yeah,” Adora said, because that was less embarrassing than admitting she was rushing to see Catra, “which room are we?”
“217,” Catra answered, turning towards the elevator, “hopefully there isn’t some dead lady in the bathtub.”
Adora blinked. “Uh, what?”
“You’ve never read The Shining?” Catra replied, and Adora shook her head. “That settles it, I’m lending you my copy.”
“Okay…” Adora frowned as she stepped into the elevator, “but what does that have to do with a dead lady in the bathtub?”
“It’s a reference,” Catra laughed, “you know, to The Shining?”
“Oh, right,” Adora blushed embarrassedly, “sorry, I’m… kind of stupid.”
“You’re not stupid,” Catra said, and even though it was barely a compliment, Adora’s stomach flipped. “It was a lame reference. Anyway, come on. I’m beat, I need to sleep.”
Annoyed that she wasn’t going to have some deep late-night conversation about life with Catra, Adora nodded and followed her out of the elevator.
Adora searched for something to talk about and eventually settled on, “so, how was your bus journey?”
“It was uneventful,” Catra said, “just listened to my music. How was hanging out with the incredible hulk?”
Adora snorted a little at the nickname. “It was fine, I guess. It’s just… I was kind of saving that seat for someone else.”
“Oh, really?” Catra smirked slightly. “Someone I know?”
“Maybe,” Adora said, and was admittedly a little impressed by herself. She and Catra stopped outside of their room, and as Catra unlocked the door, Adora kept trying. “I didn’t know you were a waitress. Do you like it?”
“Oh, yeah, it’s my dream to bring food to entitled assholes who don’t tip,” Catra said sarcastically, and then shrugged, “some people are okay, I guess. But it’s just to make money for college.”
“Where are you thinking about going?” Adora asked, and before Catra could answer, she continued, “I bet you’re going to like, all the Ivy League schools. At the same time. Probably to study medicine or law or something.”
“No, actually,” Catra said as she pushed the door open and flicked the light on, “I guess that’s what a lot of people expect me to do, but I’m actually trying for Berklee College of Music.”
Adora would’ve kept asking her about that, but then she noticed the problem in the room.
There was only one bed.
One big double bed in the middle of the room. No pull-out couch or anything.
“Oh, they must’ve given us the wrong room,” Adora said quickly, “I can go down and ask to switch if you want. Or I can just take the floor…”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Catra rolled her eyes, “it’s fine. It’s just a bed. We can share.”
She said it so casually, like the thought of sharing a bed with her didn’t make Adora want to throw up.
“Right,” Adora mumbled, watching as Catra dropped her backpack on the end of the bed and started searching through it for something. “Are you sure? You totally don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable…”
Catra shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I feel comfortable?”
I don’t know, because I clearly have a gigantic crush on you? Adora thought, but the only part that came out was, “I don’t know.”
“Do you need the bathroom?” Catra asked, pulling out her toiletries bag. “Because like I said, I’m beat, so…”
“Go ahead,” Adora awkwardly stepped aside, hating just how much she was overthinking all of this. Maybe she should’ve just roomed with Glimmer like she was going to.
Adora perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed, pretending to search through her bag for her own toiletries, but really she was overthinking about the situation she was in. When Catra came out of the bathroom in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and her underwear, Adora nearly died.
“Do you want to–” Adora started, and then chickened out again, “do you want to go on a couple rides together tomorrow?”
It was the worst thing she could’ve asked. Not because it got her more time with Catra if she said yes - that was a good thing - but because Adora hated theme park rides. She’d only agreed to come on the senior class trip because it was a senior class trip, and figured she’d just hold Bow and Glimmer’s bags while they went on the terrifying death trap rollercoasters.
“Oh, sure,” Catra said as she climbed into bed, “we should totally be ride buddies. After all, you’ve got an uneven number with Bow and Glimmer, right? And Scorpia is using the trip to get with Perfuma. And to be completely honest, I’m terrified of the idea of sitting with Entrapta. I feel like she’d dismantle the rollercoasters while we’re on the rollercoasters.”
That didn’t help Adora’s fear at all.
But the next day, after a long, sleepless night laying next to Catra sleeping soundly, she found herself in the line for the biggest rollercoaster in the park.
She knew she didn’t want to go on. Bow and Glimmer knew she didn’t want to know on. Even Catra probably knew she didn’t want to go on.
But she kept moving forwards in the line anyway, ignoring Bow’s ‘you don’t need to do this’ and Glimmer’s ‘try not to pee your pants’.
“Hey,” Catra nudged her as they were climbing into the ride, and Adora’s fate was sealed, “you can totally hold my hand if you’re scared.”
Adora didn’t know if she was being made fun of, or if the offer was genuine. But she forced a smile as she pulled the restraints over her shoulders and clipped her seatbelt on.
“Please,” she said, “I’m totally fine. Cool as a cucumber.”
But the moment the ride jolted to the start, Adora reached out and grabbed Catra’s hand. It was so soft, but the tips of her fingers were calloused from her guitar playing, and as the ride started climbing up the hill to the first drop, Adora attempted to look over at her and ask, “how long have you played guitar?”
“What?” Catra asked back, and Adora repeated the question, “oh, ten years.”
“That’s–” that’s cool , Adora started to say, and then the ride went down the first hill and she let out a scream before she could help it.
The rest of the day was just as embarrassing, and as they were boarding the bus back, Adora found herself in line with Catra.
“Hey, um,” Adora started, “thanks for like, the moral support. On the rides.”
“Oh, you mean this?” Catra asked, and she grabbed Adora’s hand again. Adora.exe stopped responding. “No problem.”
Adora was grinning like an idiot when she climbed onto the bus, even though she had to go sit back with Huntara on the ride home.
5.
“Alright, I’m sick of this.”
Adora tore her gaze away from Catra when Glimmer spoke, and frowned when her best friend grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her in Catra’s direction. “Glimmer, what the hell?”
“You should’ve asked her out on the class trip,” Glimmer said, “but because you apparently can’t do anything without being literally forced to, it’s happening now.”
“Glimmer, wait, no,” Adora tried to pull her arm out of Glimmer’s grip, which she should’ve been able to do, but apparently her five-foot nothing best friend was freakishly strong. “I’m not going to ask, it’s pointless–”
“She so obviously likes you!” Glimmer replied, pulling her towards Catra, “Hey, Catra!”
Catra looked up from the book she was reading, and Adora quickly pulled her arm out of Glimmer’s grip. She couldn’t look like she was being forced to do this, even if she was.
As they finally approached the table, Catra asked, “hey, guys. What’s up?”
“Adora has something to ask you,” Glimmer said, before Adora could tell her it didn’t matter.
Adora shot Glimmer a death glare - seriously, if looks could kill, Glimmer would be dead on the floor. She met Catra’s expectant gaze, and felt her throat knot like usual.
“Sorry about Glimmer,” Adora said, “she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Oh my god ,” Glimmer rolled her eyes, “ignore Adora. She’s just completely incapable of asking people for things. And she does have something to ask you. I’ll be over there, she’s better without an audience.”
Before Adora could say anything, Glimmer turned on her heel and headed back towards a disapproving looking Bow. While Bow possessed inhuman amounts of patience, Glimmer possessed none.
“So,” Catra said, while Adora was busy plotting her revenge on Glimmer, “what did you want to ask me?”
She looked like she already knew, and if anything, that made it worse. There was a spark in her eyes, like a mischievous cat toying with her prey, and it didn’t make Adora feel any better.
But Adora decided to try anyway. “So, uh… I’m a lesbian.”
She cringed at her own idiocy. Catra laughed a little, but it wasn’t in a mean way.
“I’m aware of that,” Catra said, “doesn’t sound like you’re asking me anything, though.”
“And… you’re a lesbian,” Adora said, and then quickly added, “I mean, I don’t know how you identify or anything, but–”
“I’m a lesbian,” Catra said, looking even more amused now, “that still wasn’t a question.”
“So, uh, I was wondering if…” Adora choked, as per usual, “if you’d be interested in an LGBT Society at school. Like, I’m thinking of starting one.”
Catra snorted with laughter, and Adora flushed bright red. “Wow, okay.”
“So, um,” Adora kept going with the embarrassing lie, “I was just getting an idea at numbers. You know, asking the… the known gays.”
“I might have time for one more extracurricular,” Catra said finally. She was still smirking. “Depends on who’s asking, though.”
“Oh, well, uh…” Adora started, “I’ll let you know when I’m.. uh, putting the group together.”
Catra laughed. “Well, I’m waiting patiently.”
“Um, yeah,” Adora nodded, and awkwardly turned to go, “bye.”
She speed-walked back to her usual lunch table, and as she sat down, she met Bow and Glimmer’s gazes.
“Well?” Glimmer asked. “Tell me you did it.”
As if the question had snapped her out of her stupor, she smacked her head down on the table and groaned. “I asked her if she wanted to join an LGBT club.”
“Oh my god, you’re so useless.”
6.
It was the biggest soccer game of the season, but Adora wasn’t excited.
The game was going perfectly too. Etheria High was so far in the lead that their competitors had no chance of keeping up, not with Scorpia in the goal and Adora scoring. Really, she was shocked a team this bad had made it to the championships.
Adora scored the winning goal, but she still didn’t feel great. The crowd cheered, her teammates rushed her, but all Adora could think about was how badly she kept messing up with Catra. Every time she had an opportunity, something happened.
It was like she made it to the goal, but the opposing goalie blocked her. Problem was, the opposing goalie was herself .
Maybe it was time to give up, Adora thought as the pitch emptied and her teammates headed to shower. Maybe she was just destined to be single forever, because pretty girls were so panic inducing.
She took one last look at the empty pitch and the crowd filtering out of the bleachers before she turned to join her teammates in the locker room. She turned towards the entrance, hoping that the post-game celebration would make her feel better.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know a lot about sports, but that was a pretty impressive game.”
Adora blinked in surprise, wondering if she’d passed the line from girl-crush crazy to full on hallucinations. Catra was leaning casually against the locker room doors, exuding cool and casual the way Adora never could.
“Catra,” Adora managed to get out, “you… you saw my game?”
“Mhm,” Catra nodded, “you’re amazing.”
Adora’s stomach flipped, and she knew how obviously she was blushing. She was painfully aware of how sweaty and post-sports she was as Catra moved closer, and she managed to get out a quiet, “thank you.”
“You got any plans right now?” Catra asked, looking up at her with something in her eyes. Adora had always read that sparkle as playful mischief, like a cat toying with a mouse, but maybe she’d been reading it wrong.
“I mean… I do,” Adora said, “but I can blow them off. Wait, you are asking me because you want to hang out, right?”
Catra laughed, and suddenly she was right there , her hand slipping into Adora’s. Adora looked down in disbelief, but when Catra spoke her gaze snapped right back to those beautiful eyes.
“Adora, honestly,” Catra smiled softly, “you’re so bad at this.”
“Uh,” Adora cleared her throat nervously, “at what?”
“This,” Catra said, and then she was kissing her.
It was everything Adora had dreamed it would be. Catra’s lips were so soft, and it took Adora a moment to realise exactly what was happening to respond to it. Her arms slowly wrapped around Catra’s waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. Catra tasted like strawberry chapstick but there was something underneath, something addicting, something so Catra that made it so Adora never wanted to pull away.
But as Catra started to pull back, Adora let her go. But her arms stayed around Catra’s waist, keeping her close, as she searched Catra’s eyes for some kind of explanation, some evidence that Catra just felt what Adora did.
“You… you kissed me,” Adora said lamely, “wow.”
Catra laughed softly. “I did. Excellent detective skills there, Sherlock.”
“Do you…” Adora took a breath and finally asked the question she’d wanted to ask, “do you want to go out with me?”
Catra smiled. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that.”
“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to ask,” Adora retorted, and Catra laughed, “I really like you, Catra.”
“I really like you too, Adora,” Catra said, “now come on. Take me out.”
Adora reached down and took Catra’s hand, squeezing it between her own. She was surprised at how relaxed she felt. All of those years pining nervously after this girl, and Adora didn’t understand what she was so afraid of.
“I’d love to,” Adora smiled, and then realised, “hey, wait, if you knew I liked you, then why didn’t you ask?”
“Um, okay, I basically just did,” Catra pointed out, “But honestly? It was funny to watch you struggle.”
“Wow, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”