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This mission is ridiculous but it came from Lord Hordak himself. Something about a restorative spring swelling from a cave in a mountain near Bright Moon. Catra can't help but roll her eyes—why would Hordak even need access to something like that? He was a major demon, already immortal. Even a minor demon like Catra wouldn't benefit from whatever supposed benefits could be found in some mystical water source.
It was a wild goose chase anyway. Catra has checked every forsaken corner of this mountain and hasn't found a damn thing. Whoever gave him the information did not know their head from their ass. She's checking through the last larger cave, already dreading breaking the news to him. Something catches her eye just as she's about to leave, her mission a bust.
There's a kid, sitting off in the corner of the cave. They look miserable and lost, turning their head from side to side in confusion. When she looks at them closer, she can feel that they aren't a human at all. With the amount of angelic energy radiating off this kid, they might as well have I'm an angel tattooed on their forehead. They lock eyes with her and their expression softens into a smile. They move their little arms up and open and close their palms, their face expectant.
Catra shakes her head vigorously. "Oh no. I don't know what celestial being fucked up and left you here little kid, but I'm not here to help you." She informs them.
She takes a few steps back and the angel crawls forward, their butt wiggling as they moved as quickly as possible. Still, the little angel was a runt so she manages to make it through the side of the cave and hide from view. The problem is she can still see them. They immediately frown, their light eyebrows they have furrowing as they swing their head around looking for Catra. They let out a sad whimper, their eyes filling with tears as they search for her.
She holds out until she sees their lower lip tremble, their hand coming up to wipe at their face. "Fuck." She curses to herself. She leaves her hiding place and immediately the angel brightens, making their way to Catra.
She bends over and picks them up. They look at her with wide blue eyes, their mouth pouting out as they make little bubbles. "Ew kid, gross." She eyes them and they stare back unblinkingly. "Why are you looking at me like a fish?" They don't stop and Catra feels silly for talking to them.
Catra sighs, switching the side she's carrying the angel on. They let out a happy giggle. "I guess this is my problem now." She mutters as she looks at them. She tries to search for some indication of a name or anything about where they came from. "I'll call you Finn." She decides. "Come on, kid. I'm going to practice my letdown speech for Hordak on you."
She only gets a giggle in return.
Her apartment in Bright Moon isn't big but Finn is tiny and seems to have fewer needs than a human child. Sometimes she spends so much time on Etheria that she forgets she isn't human anymore. Having Finn around for the last month has both reminded her of her lack of humanity and also connected her to it. Memories of her human life when she was around children and wanted her own. Life didn't turn out that way for her as a human.
As much as Finn is a child, they are very much an angel. There is no denying the way their eyes flash at times and how they seem to appear in different parts of the apartment with no rhyme or reason. She'd initially thought of finding some way to get them back to wherever she came from but there were a lot of complications to that. Namely, because it's not like she has any angels at her beck and call and she can't exactly tell Shadow Weaver or Hordak that she somehow failed a mission and managed to get roped in with an angelic dependent.
But as time went on, she doesn't feel the need to find where Finn came from. Angels are a stuck-up lot who swear they know everything. If they can't keep track of Finn and abandoned them, then they don't deserve to have them back. And Catra can admit she's grown somewhat attached to the kid.
Almost as if called by her thought, Finn appears next to her on the kitchen counter.
She rolls her eyes. "Finn, you goddamn rugrat." Finn stares at her innocently with too huge blue eyes and one little hand almost on the stovetop. "Are you sure you're not a little demon?" She huffs as she pulls Finn inches from the stove. "I don't know if you burn, buddy, but stove heat is not fun." She lets them know. She's not sure how much they understand but she thinks it's more than they let on. Finn side-eyes the stove and moves their hand clear away. "Thanks."
One moment she's cooking in her kitchen, the next, there's a literal lighting strike in her goddamn apartment. She grabs Finn and rolls away from the source of the noise, her ears ringing. It takes a minute for her eyes to adjust after the bright flash. When it does, she can barely believe her eyes. It's an angel—Catra's nose burns from the amount of angelic magic emanating from her. She looks like an angel with her long straight nose and pointed chin. Her face is severe as she takes Catra and Finn in, one hand on the sword on her side.
She takes a step closer and Catra takes two back. "I'm here to take them back." The angel announces as she points at Finn.
Catra holds Finn tightly to her body, swinging them so they are on the side of her farthest away from the blonde. "Over my dead body. You aren't taking them anywhere." She can tell the agel is stronger than her, but Catra doesn't give a fuck. She'll fight dirty if she has to.
"They are one of us, demon." She says stiffly, blue eyes almost angry as she takes another step closer.
Catra snorts. It's so like the angels to be sanctimonious, even after they are the ones that fucked up. "Sorry if I don't trust the people that left a defenseless infant in the middle of a cave." She hisses.
The angel has the decency to look contrite. "Look, Frosta feels really badly about that—I don't owe you an explanation." She shakes her head, refocusing on the kid.
"Well, you aren't getting Finn," Catra warns.
The angel's eyes widen. "Finn?" She asks.
"Yes." She doesn't care what stupid angel name they gave them. Finn is Finn, through and through.
"You named them?" She asks quizzically, eyes flying from Catra's face to Finn's.
"Of course, I did. What was I supposed to call them? Stinky little angel baby?" Finn nudges closer to her as if sensing that they're the topic of conversation.
"We don't—they haven't earned their wings yet. They aren't named." The blonde explains slowly.
Catra's eyes widen. What kind of people just leave kids without names? "Okay, more reason for me to keep them away from you."
The blonde scoffs, her stance relaxing slightly as a look of irritation crosses her face. "You can't just keep an angel. Isn't this a problem for you?"
Catra shrugs. "Eh. Being a demon is like a timeshare business, only really need to be on certain days of the year." She typically doesn't have long assignments and she tries her best to stay out from under Hordak and Shadow Weaver. It's been a month and she's successfully kept Finn's existence a secret. She doesn't suspect it'll be an issue.
The blonde stares at her for a moment. "Timeshares are demonic." The angel begrudgingly agrees. She eyes Finn on Catra's hip nuzzled close and eyeing Adora distrustfully. She sighs. "They seem really taken with you." She admits.
"Again. I didn't abandon them in a cave or fail to give them a name. Bar was really low for me to sweep the favorite wine aunt title." She's not maternal but she can do shit way better than these assholes.
The angel eyes them for a moment longer, blue eyes darting between Catra and Finn. "Fine. You promise that you're going to take care of them?" She requests.
She nods. "Sure." Catra isn't going to let anything happen to Finn, so it's easy to agree.
The angel is right in front of her now, with barely any space between them. "Not good enough. What's your name?" She demands.
Catra rolls her eyes. Angels are so dramatic. "Catra." She supplies.
"Mine is Adora." She informs although Catra does not care. The angel steps closer and that makes Catra realize Adora is a lot taller than she thought. "You will swear on your life that you will protect Finn. That you will nurture them and defend them." Her eyes flash blue and she raises her arm as if performing an oath.
Catra isn't an idiot. She knows better than to accept an oath from an angel. Yet, she finds herself gripping Finn tighter and raising one of her arms. "I swear."
The angel looks at her seriously, eyes flashing between the demon and the little angel tucked into her side. "Well then, Catra. I'll be keeping an eye on you two." With that, she walks away and disappears, blurring out of sight with another white flash.
Catra rolls her eyes. "Angels are so fucking dramatic." She groans aloud this time. She looks down at the angel in her arms, all wide eyes with a question in them. "Not you little fish." She assures softly.
Finn hums happily, burying their head into Catra's neck and falling asleep almost immediately.
She doesn't think much of the blonde angel again until she randomly appears in her apartment three months later. Catra almost stabs her with a pair of scissors she picks up from her coffee table if Adora isn't so quick.
"What are you doing here?" She demands, trying to slow her breathing. This time, Adora arrived silently.
Adora is sitting on her couch, curiously looking around the apartment. "I'm checking in on Finn." She rolls her eyes. "Like I said I would."
"How did you even know where we are?" She's not always in her apartment. Catra rolls her eyes. "Why do I ask? It's probably some angel bullshit."
The blonde looks like she's not sure what to say to that. "How is Finn?"
Catra nods to the angel that's crawling on the carpet in the living room. "You see them. It's not like I know what the normal development markers are for an angel." She can't help but point out.
To her surprise, the angel laughs. "I guess that's right." Her blue eyes twinkle as she glances at Catra. "You were so adamant to keep them I suppose assumed you had it all figured out."
"Well, I don't. I just think I can do better than whoever you were going to drop Finn off with." Catra defends.
Adora shakes her head. "As long as Finn is happy, they can stay here." She assures.
Catra stills. She was expecting the angel to be more hostile, not to offer a modicum of security in keeping Finn. "Thank you." She forces out.
She clears her throat. "Of course." Adora stands. "Well, I see you two are fine. I best be off." She looks at Finn on the floor for a moment and then her eyes fly up to Catra. "I'll be seeing you." She says with a smile.
Catra's heart stutters in her chest, which is embarrassing, to say the least. It's not her fault that the angel is attractive, it's literally part of Adora's trade. For a split second, she contemplates asking Adora to stay and talk more. But she feels so off balance from how unusually well the interaction has gone. She doesn't like that.
"I guess," Catra says. "Bye."
Before she can blink, Adora is gone.
"Adora," Catra calls out hesitantly. She's not sure what the extent of the angel's powers is but she's hoping this works. Adora pops around at seemingly random times, sometimes when Catra and Finn are in her apartment, sometimes when they are out in Bright Moon. She's clearly able to track Finn somehow but Catra isn't sure if she can hear Catra. Suddenly, Adora is in front of her, a furrow in her brow. "Fucking hell." Catra curses in surprise.
The blonde smirks. "Poor manners to blaspheme in front of an angel, don't you think?"
"As if you don't hear people curse all the time." She rolls her eyes. Catra focuses on the matter at hand. She doesn't have a lot of time before Weaver will suspect something is wrong. "I need you to watch Finn for like a few hours. Can you do that?"
"Watch them?" Her voice raises in pitch, the same as her eyebrows.
"Yeah. Just make sure they aren't a danger to society. Or themselves." She pauses for a moment. "Mostly themselves, they can be a danger to society as a treat," Catra adds.
Adora narrows her eyes. "Funny." She says flatly.
"Can you do it?" She presses.
Adora nods hesitantly. Catra passes her Finn and both angels seem uncomfortable with the arrangement. Finn looks back at her, a pleading look in their eyes asking her not to go. It makes her heart clench. She leans forward, placing a soft kiss on their forehead. "Be good for Adora, alright?" She takes a moment to look at their blue eyes and she sees comprehension. "I'll be back Finn." She promises. They nod slowly before looking up at the blonde and then back at Catra. She raises her own eyes to the blonde who is stiff as she holds Finn. "Bye, Adora."
"Come back soon." Adora still looks a little panicked as she glances down at Finn.
Catra laughs. "I will and you'll be fine." Adora is an angel and Finn is one too. They probably can't get into too much trouble on their own.
Catra is not sure what she was expecting when she returned, but it wasn't for Finn and Adora to be staring at each other. The two angels don't acknowledge her as she makes her way into the apartment, not even blinking as they focus on each other.
She puts a hand on her hip. "Is this a weird angel thing?" She says as she points between them.
The older angel doesn't look up. "Shhh. They were crying but they stopped when we stared at each other." Adora says slowly as if Finn won't notice her talking if she pauses between them. "I think they can sense that I'm She-ra so they don't want to break eye contact first."
Catra sighs. She has no idea what a She-ra is, but she thinks it might have to do with whatever responsibilities Adora has. "Hey, Finn." Immediately the blonde angel snaps their head and looks at Catra. With a delighted giggle, they toddle over, crawling quickly toward Catra before raising their arms. She obliges them, picking them up.
Adora looks put out. It's odd to see the angel sitting with her legs crossed on the ground. She almost looks approachable like this. She's staring at Finn and she narrows her eyes at them.
"I don't understand you." She says very seriously. It makes Finn laugh, a soft little giggle that only children have. Adora's face softens into a smile and she gets up, walking toward the pair. "Do you like that? You think it's funny?" Adora pulls her eyebrows together and Finn laughs again. She shakes her head. "You're so odd, Finn."
Catra feels a little defensive at that. "They aren't odd." She protests. Catra tickles under their chin and they laugh again. "It's just how children are normally."
"I didn't mean it in a bad way." Adora carefully reaches out, her index finger running across the bottom of Finn's foot. Their little toes fan out and they laugh again, causing the blonde to smile brilliantly. "I've never been around a child before." She confesses. "It's all new to me."
"Really? Never?" Catra can't imagine it. As a human, she'd been around children her whole life. It's not something that's easy to forget.
"No. We don't—angels aren't born with parents. We are all the children of Mara, you see, but not in the way that humans are." She explains. "So when an angel is created, they are cared for by other angels whose job is to protect them until they are ready to carry out their duties."
"So you don't have parents?" Catra asks horrified.
Adora shakes her head. "No. Not usually." She smiles slightly. "Finn is an exception."
Catra can feel herself blush. "I'm not a mother." She points at herself. "Wine aunt, remember?"
Adora stares at her but doesn't say anything else on that point. She shakes her head as if thinking better of it. "I do need to go." She says apologetically. "The duties of She-ra aren't something I can move away from for long." She explains. Catra thinks about asking about She-ra but maybe it shows on her face because Adora notices. "She-ra is the protector of heaven. It involves a lot more management and logistical work than the title suggests." She says with a wry smile.
"Alright. Well, I don't want us to keep you from that." Protecting heaven isn't something important to Catra, but she can tell that it means a lot to Adora.
The angel looks at her for a moment, a strange look crossing her face. "I'll be seeing you." She says instead of what's on her mind. Adora has taken it almost like a send-off, something to say before she silently blinks out of Catra's sight. It's exactly what she does now, but it's never left Catra feeling quite so bereft.
"Adora!" Catra yells loudly, uncaring who hears at the moment.
Adora appears like she's been next to her this whole time. "Catra?" Adora's voice is worried as her eyes dart around looking for Catra.
She holds Finn straight out as if they have a stinky diaper, showing their back to the blonde angel. "They have wings!" The things weren't on their back the day before, but suddenly they are.
Adora relaxes and rolls her eyes, looking at the brunette. "That's what has you in a tizzy? They're an angel, of course, they have wings. They had to grow into them at some point." She shakes her head and laughs. "They must have done something to earn them between yesterday and today."
"You don't know what that might be?" Catra asks as she looks at Finn with concern.
Adora shakes her head solemnly. "That's between that little one and Mara." She explains.
Catra looks down at the wings again. "They're so tiny." The things look no better than butterfly wings, occasionally flapping before resting tightly on their back.
"Yeah comes with the territory of being small. Some day Finn's wings will be wider than you are tall." Adora says. She runs her hands softly over the wings, seemingly making sure that's what they are supposed to look like at this stage.
Catra narrows her eyes at Adora. "Are you calling me short?"
Adora sputters. "I'm not! Angel wings are just big."
"I don't see your wings." She huffs as she crosses her arms. She's not truly annoyed but it's the first time she sees the blonde flustered so she leans into it.
"Well, I hide mine usually." She explains as she touches the back of her neck.
Catra figured that. She doesn't take her demon form usually, preferring to stay in Bright Moon. It's a headache with all the humans around. Still, her curiosity is piqued. "Can I see your wings?"
"You sure you want to?" Adora asks with a raised eyebrow.
She thinks about it for a moment. "Maybe it'll make Finn's less scary." She suggests. In truth, what makes her panic is that it's a manifestation of how different Finn is from her. She can't help but feel at times that she isn't as well equipped to care for them as she lets on.
Adora nods. "Alright then." Just like how she teleports, the wings appear as if they've been there the whole time. They're so tall that they cast a shadow blocking most of the light in the room.
"Oh shit." Catra breathes as she looks up at them.
Adora smirks. "I told you they were big." If she weren't an angel, it would almost sound like she's bragging.
"Are they all so...gold?" Catra says as she eyes the wings. They almost look metallic from how golden they are.
Adora shakes her head, pointing back down to the child between them. "No. Look at Finn's—theirs has some lavender tint to them. Mine are just golden." She shrugs and the whole wings rise even higher and then drop in tandem with her shoulders.
Adora grins then, a playful look she's never seen on the angel when she feels a sharp wind and she's suddenly wrapped in the huge wings. She clutches Finn to her chest and shrieks, glaring at the angel.
It's impossible how their wings can cocoon around Catra and Finn so easily. Catra looks at the closest of Adora's wings, reaching her hand out and touching it. "Fuck, it's like a wall." She murmurs, pressing on the wing gently and feeling its heft beneath her fingertips. "But also soft." The feathers themselves are like velvet.
Adora clears her throat and when Catra looks up she realizes that the angel is blushing. They're also standing way too close, Finn being the only thing creating any space between them. Adora slowly moves the wings open again and there is space. Catra finds it oddly disappointing.
Adora is biting her lower lip now. "Sorry. I thought it would be funny." She offers before hiding her wings again. "Wings aren't—we don't usually get to show them off, really. I'd never had someone touch my wing like that." She finishes shyly.
Catra feels her gut lurch. Did she somehow break some angel etiquette guidelines? She can't be expected to know those things. "I'm sorry." She offers uncertainly.
Adora shakes her head quickly. "No! No, it's fine. Just wasn't expecting it." She rushes to explain.
Catra doesn't know what she's planning on saying in response, but whatever it is, it gets lost because Finn starts making an intentional coughing noise. Catra looks down at them and they have their pudgy hands stretched out, one on Adora and the other gripping the collar of Catra's shirt tightly. They cough again, eyes wide and entirely unconvincing.
Catra rolls her eyes. "Angels can't get sick." She informs them. "I don't even know where you're getting that."
They stare at her straight in the face and cough again.
Adora breaks out into a laugh. "It seems like they take after you when it comes to being crafty." She says, humor echoing through her voice. One of her hands is warm on Catra's elbow, keeping her in place now that Finn has an arm around them both.
"Is that what you call what demons do now?" She can't help but ask. They've skirted around their opposing nature since the first time they met but Adora has to have thoughts on it.
"Well, how much soul wheeling and dealing are you doing with Finn hanging around?" Adora counters.
"Ugh, I'm probably behind on my count." She shakes her head. "It's fine though. Weaver hates me, it isn't like she's going to give me a promotion for working hard anyway."
"Why does she hate you?" She asks curiously.
"I don't know. Her contract for my soul was a bit wonky. She doesn't have it as locked up as she would like." It's a small comfort, to know that although she is a demon Weaver doesn't own her like she owns the rest. "She hates that, I think."
Adora rolls her eyes. "That does sound like something a demon like Weaver would hate."
"You have experience with her?" She knows that Adora is way more connected than she is as a minor demon, but it still feels jarring to think that she might know Shadow Weaver.
"Not personally. But she hurt someone I know very well. He hasn't been the same since." A shadow of righteous anger clouds her face. "If you have a target on your back with Weaver. You should be careful." She advises. As if Catra doesn't know that.
She waves her off, pulling back slightly now that Finn has nestled against her. "It's fine. Old hag probably thinks she has better things to do than harass me."
The topic settles between them and Adora shoots her a curious look. "So...do you have anything like angel wings?"
Catra laughs. "Absolutely not."
She rolls her eyes at Catra's quick dismissal. "I mean like, do you have a different form? I know demons that do."
She eyes Adora for a moment, wondering if she can be trusted with this kind of information. "I might have cat ears in my demon form." She grudgingly admits.
Adora bursts out laughing. "I'm sorry that's so cute." She has tears in her eyes from how hard she's laughing.
"I'm not cute!" She protests vehemently. "It's not like I chose it!" She was right, Adora isn't to be trusted with this sensitive information. Catra is definitely not mentioning the cat tail now.
Adora pesters her the whole afternoon about showing her Catra's ears. She gives in for a little and both Adora and Finn lose their minds over it, taking turns petting them. Catra will never admit that she actually enjoyed that.
She can feel herself morphing into her demon form involuntarily, a process that only happens out of her control when she's being pulled into hell. It's not a pleasant process, especially when completely unprepared like Catra is. She's on her knees in front of Shadow Weaver, unable to move from the spot where she's been summoned. She is beyond grateful that she wasn't carrying Finn at the moment, the child safely in their crib when this happened.
She smells the familiar fire and brimstone as her eyes adjust to the darkness. Weaver starts pacing, the shadows that cling to her almost on a second delay from how quickly she's moving. Her glare is vicious when finally looks at Catra. "You're harboring an angel on Etheria. I always knew you were more trouble than you were worth. I never should have taken you in." She lets out a string of curses. Muttering about how Catra is an abject failure.
"That's a funny way to say you reaped my soul." Catra can't help but spit out. Her soul was taken from her, she didn't part with it willingly. She won't have Weaver categorize it any differently.
The shadows roar forward and Shadow Weaver gets closer, yelling in Catra's face. "Silence! I've had enough of your blatant disrespect."
Catra's arms are suddenly bound behind her. She curls up into herself closing her eyes tightly. The last thing she thinks of is that she hopes that Adora finds Finn and takes care of them. But nothing happens. Instead, when she opens her eyes Adora is standing in front of her, wings spread out so far Catra cannot make out Weaver on the other side of her. She's like a beacon of light, glowing brightly in the darkness of hell.
"You will not hurt her." Adora's voice booms through the sanctum. "Catra is under my protection and if you so much lift a finger against her, you will be answering to me. Consider your contract with her null and void."
She hears Weaver scream something but she can't distinguish it. Instead, she smells the now familiar scent of Adora's magic and her bindings falling off. The next moment, she's back in her apartment, with none of the pain that usually comes with being sent back to Etheria.
Adora touches her with gentle hands, laying her down on her own bed. "Another angel has been watching Finn but I'll dismiss her. They're sleeping soundly in their room." She whispers, her hands trailing over Catra's face before withdrawing.
"Why did you show up?" Catra asks. It's the only thing she's thought of since they escaped certain danger. The only thought she's coherent enough to make.
Adora furrows her brow, her hand tentatively touching Catra's cheek. "What do you mean? You could have died." She defends.
"Yeah, but it had nothing to do with Finn." She'd assumed that the reason she could reach Adora is because she was close to Finn—that Adora was connected to Finn somehow. She has no idea how Adora could even get passed the protections of the underworld, never mind find her. "So how did you even know to come? How did you even know where I was?"
Her mouth twists into a grimace. "Why do you feel the need to know everything?" She mutters under her breath.
Catra sits up, putting her hand on the angel's arm. "Because you're hiding something. You're an awful liar." Adora won't look her in the face—it's clear as day that she's hoping Catra won't push.
"I'm not lying. I just—maybe haven't been the most forthright." Catra gives Adora an unimpressed stare. The angel groans. "Fine. I might be your...guardian angel?"
Catra couldn't have heard that right. "My what?"
Adora sighs, sitting down on the bed. "I needed a way to answer you when you needed to talk to me about Finn. And so I could find you. The only way I could really do that is to bind myself to you as your guardian."
"What does that—how can you even be my guardian angel? I'm a demon." She points out the obvious.
"I wasn't sure if I could." She admits. "But the only restriction really is that someone deserving of a guardian angel must be good at heart." Adora shrugs. "In a lot of ways, it was a test of sorts. If I could be your guardian angel then I could keep tabs on Finn and know you are worthy of them."
"But if I wasn't good at heart then you would have taken Finn back," Catra says slowly. It's pretty devious for an angel.
She nods. "Probably. I needed to trust Finn would be safe."
"I don't—you should have told me." She understands why Adora kept it to herself at first, but she thought things had changed between them. At least enough for Adora to tell her something like this.
"I should have. I'm sorry." Adora sighs, running a tired hand over her face. "At first, I didn't think much of it but as we grew"—the blonde bites her lip, eyes wide—"close. I was worried you'd be upset. Or hate me." She whispers.
Catra scoffs. "How could I hate you, Adora?" The blonde is neverendingly sweet, thoughtful, and kind. She's there when Catra needs her, and more recently, when the brunette has wanted her.
She looks guilty. "I wasn't honest."
Catra shrugs. "Well, I'm not honest about a lot of things, so I can't really hold it against you." Adora looks like she might protest so Catra holds up her hand. "It's okay." Her hand on Adora's arm tightens for a moment. "So...am I really free of Shadow Weaver?" She remembers Adora saying something about her contract.
The angel's cheek is red. "Yeah. I'd been looking for a way out and I recently found one. If it hadn't been an emergency, I was going to bring it to you so we could work out how to enact the spell." She shrugs. "Since I had her in front of me, I could do it myself. You're still a demon, obviously, but you aren't beholden to her anymore."
Catra bites her lip trying to keep her tears at bay. Adora has given her freedom something Catra didn't even think to wish for. Catra leans her head onto Adora's shoulder, unable to voice what it means to her. They drop it, not looking any further into what it all might mean.
"Is this what your nights are usually like?" Adora says quietly. The blonde is sprawled out on the couch. They'd been watching a kids movie as they chatted and waited for Finn to fall asleep.
Catra is almost asleep next to the blonde, so her voice pulls her out of that half-sleep state. "Hmm?"
She looks pointedly down at Finn sleeping on her torso. The little angel decided they wanted to take their nap on Adora, much to her surprise. Adora has been rubbing their small little back to keep them asleep, occasionally tracing her fingers over their wings.
"With Finn?" She clarifies.
Adora's hands never stop, her eyes not straying from the child laying on her. "Yeah."
"I mean, I guess." Catra shrugs before smiling. "Usually I'm the pillow." She teases. "I've been trying to read to them," Catra adds. She loves how bright their eyes get as Catra makes up voices for the characters and the giggles they let out when she pauses dramatically before a shift in the story.
"Do they like that?" Adora asks, looking up at Catra with a soft smile.
She nods. "They do."
Adora looks at her for a moment, her face torn. "Do you think next time, we can read to them together?"
"Yeah, of course." Adora looks relieved, settling deeper into her seat. "Did you think I'd say no?" Ever since the first time Adora took care of Finn, Catra has never denied Adora their company.
The angel looks caught, her blue eyes wide and frozen before turning away from Catra. "I just thought that it sounds really...special. I wouldn't blame you for keeping it between you and Finn." She explains as she stares at the television. "I don't want to intrude."
Catra rolls her eyes. "As annoying of a stick in the mud as you can be—you're allowed at reading time." She glances over at the blonde. "Besides, you're my guardian angel right?" She tosses out. They haven't really talked about it since the first night Adora explained it.
"Yes, I am."
"How does that work generally? Is it like a demon contract?" She asks tentatively.
Adora shakes her head. "No. You don't have to bargain anything away to have a guardian angel. Nothing is expected of you." She explains.
Catra sits with that. It makes sense then, that Adora didn't need to ask her first before making herself Catra's guardian angel. She grins at the blonde. "So how many wards do you have floating around?"
She furrows her brow. "Maybe three my whole life? You're my only living ward."
Catra's heart stutters in her chest for some reason. "That seems like a low number." Catra points out.
"It is. A normal angel might have hundreds of people they watch other." She looks away. "I have other duties, so it's not like that for me."
"Your She-ra gig or whatever?"
Adora rolls her eyes. "Yeah, that."
"Alright." Catra bites her lip. "Well, I can't say I'm sad not to have to share." They're quiet and Catra gathers the courage to offer what she wants. "If you stay until later, you can read to Finn tonight if you want."
Adora's smile is so bright it's blinding. "I'd really like that."
Adora manages to stay for longer and longer stretches, although she sometimes is gone for weeks at a time. It comes to the point where it feels unnatural for the blonde to be gone for more than a day or two. Catra never knows how long she'll stay away but it never becomes easier. Finn sometimes looks at Catra with a demanding face, clearly wondering about Adora.
But it feels far away when Adora is near. Today though, the blonde is acting strange. Adora plays with Finn for a bit but now she's hovering at the edge of the room, her hands wrapped tightly around themselves. She ignores it for a while, but it feels like Adora's eyes are glued on her, never straying far.
She finally looks up "Why are you staring like that?" Catra says but the blonde's face remains unchanged. "Adora, you're scaring me."
"I want to nominate Finn. To be the next She-ra." She says slowly. "It's a big decision but I think they're well suited for it."
Catra didn't even know that was a thing. Her heart pangs at the thought of Finn being so big they have to find their place amongst the other angels. "How can they be well suited for anything? They still can't even talk." As if they know they are the topic of conversation, they walk over. Before sitting on the floor next to them.
Adora smiles. "I have a feeling about them." She says simply. "It also—if I selected Finn then they'd be under my care. No one else would have any say as to how they could be raised." Adora raises an eyebrow. "Say by a demon who would do anything to keep them safe."
"You aren't trying to take them from me?" She asks carefully. Catra doesn't think Adora would but she can't help but fear it.
Adora walks toward Catra, taking one of her hands in her palms. "Not at all. I want to make sure Finn can't be taken from you. You're their mother."
Her eyes widen. "I—I don't know if you can say that."
"I can because you are. You love Finn. If I've learned anything from being around you two it's that there's power in that. In loving selfishly." She swallows thickly. "I'd be breaking a lot of rules, but I think this could be good. If you want it too."
"Want what?" She doesn't know what Adora is offering but it seems like too much to hope for.
"We could...be close. You wouldn't have to work any of the major demons and I could take you both somewhere I could be too. Not just whenever I can get out from under Light Hope's nose."
The picture starts pulling together tightly and it feels like it burns Catra. Her heart is in her throat. "Are you suggesting that we be a family?" She whispers.
Adora's eyes are warm as she bites her lip. "We can be. If you want to."
Catra's heart thumps unevenly in her chest. She wants that—she wants more than that. She wonders what it might be like to kiss the angel. Still, she holds back. "You might get sick of being around Finn and me so much." She tries to play it off as a joke.
Adora's eyes are serious. "I could never grow tired of you. Or Finn." She promises. Adora's blue eyes look like they flash in the light. "I miss you all the time when I'm not here."
She reaches out and grabs hold of Adora's other hand. It's surprisingly warm and the blonde weaves their fingers together, tugging her closer. It sounds too good to be true. "Because you're my guardian angel?"
Adora shakes her head slowly. "Because I'm yours." She admits. It sounds like an oath. "You don't need to feel the same but you should know in case this isn't—I want you to understand what I'm hoping for."
The angel almost looks human, with a slight stumble in her words as she runs a hand over the back of her neck. Catra takes another purposeful step until she's standing between Adora's legs. She wraps her unoccupied hand around her neck, letting her other hand remain entangled in Adora's.
She leans up on her tiptoes and drags Adora down until their lips touch. For a moment, Adora freezes and then she wraps both of her arms around Catra, a deep groan escaping her lips before she presses them firmly to Catra's. The kiss isn't particularly long but it feels better than Catra imagined it would.
When they break apart they are both breathing heavier. Adora has a silly smile that Catra's never seen before. "Is that what you were hoping for?" All of Catra's bravado is washed away by her own breathlessness and Adora's hand tightening around her waist.
"Better than." She says before lowering her head so they can kiss again.