Chapter Text
Adora parked her pickup truck on the side of the road in front of the large, yet modest house of her still-new-to-her client. Normally she would be doing the yard work at far more upscale homes with several acres of land. This one, however, sat on one and a half according to the lot description. The only service was to mow and trim the lawn once a week. Usually Adora found herself with a longer list of things to do: mow the lawn to a certain length, water several flowerbeds, neatly trim shrubs, plant seasonal flowers through the year, spread mulch, shovel snow during winter. She got paid decently for it all. The decent pay didn’t stop with this new client either. She was getting paid almost as much as if she had a longer list of things to do.
She walked up the cobblestone path to matching steps and porch. She knocked on the dark wood door and rocked back on her heels as she waited, just as she had done for three weeks now. Just once she would like to meet the homeowner instead of the other two who lived in the house too. Again, the person opening the door was a powerhouse of a woman with red pincers and scorpion tail.
“Hey, Scorpia.”
“Hey! Um, Catra is still out. Important work stuff is all she said.” Scorpia rubbed the back of her head before she remembered the bucket of ice with a few water bottles in it. “Oh!” She carefully picked it up by the handle with a pincer and held it out. “She wanted me to give you this since it’s a scorcher today.”
“Uh, thanks. Any changes?”
“Nope. Just the usual.”
Adora nodded, took the bucket, and went back out to her truck. She set it on the trailer next to the riding lawnmower before reaching over the side of the bed to grab the weed whacker. A few pulls of the cord got it started and she went to work.
She couldn’t stop wondering how she always seemed to miss this Catra person. She tried to come in the morning, on a weekend, and now in the early evening when most people with office jobs were home. Each time was met with a different reason: Scorpia said she left for work really early, Entrapta said she left to do something with Scorpia, and now Scorpia told her she was at work late. It was almost infuriating. Adora swore the homeowner had a sixth sense of knowing when she was going to show and just avoided it.
Scorpia let her know on the first visit that they just moved in a couple of weeks prior and out of the apartment in the city. Even if there was a longer commute than walking a few blocks, Scorpia said it was worth the peace. She also said something about Catra not being as on edge as often, which Adora found a little odd. The city wasn’t bad by any means. She almost enjoyed the apartment she was in with her best friends . Her only issue was that the building was around the corner from one of the fire stations. It was convenient if anything happened to their building. It was, however, inconvenient when they had a run at two in the morning.
Scorpia had been right about the summer weather being brutal that day. No clouds, no breeze, moderate humidity, and hotter than it had been all month. Adora finished trimming the edge of the pathway and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the bottom of her tank top as she walked to her truck. She grabbed one of the bottles from the ice bucket, which had mostly melted already, and downed it faster than she intended. After she tossed the empty bottle through the open window of the truck she went around to the back of the trailer and lowered the ramp to get the mower out. She fired it up and backed down the ramp after tossing a water bottle in the cup holder to get started on the easiest part of the job. Adora set the deck right in the middle between the shortest and longest and got started.
Water bottle empty and on the last three passes, Adora saw a black sports car with the windows down pull into the driveway. At first, she was happy to possibly have the chance to meet the elusive Catra. The moment the woman stepped from the car, Adora thought it was probably a good idea to not bother the woman. Not only was she a drop dead gorgeous magicat with short hair in a tailored business suit and Adora knew she would make a fool of herself, but she looked pissed. Being a stammering mess in front of that scowl wasn’t exactly the first impression she wanted to make. Instead, she offered a small wave when Catra glanced up after slamming the car door closed. It was hardly returned as she walked towards the front door.
Adora drove the lawnmower back up the ramp of her trailer and killed the engine. She quickly locked the ramp back in place after getting out of the trailer. She grabbed the bucket and dumped the water from the melted ice out before heading back to the front door. For the first time, she hoped Catra didn’t answer the door.
Of course she wasn’t that lucky.
Not long after she knocked, she could hear yelling as the door was approached.
“I mean, come on! The time frame is simply not going to work! How many times have I been wrong on an expected timeline within a couple days to a week of completion?!” Catra opened the door while still looking over her shoulder in the direction of whoever she was venting to. She finally noticed who was at the door snapped a short, “what?”
Adora cleared her throat and held the bucket out. Whatever was going on wasn’t something she wanted to remotely be involved in. She didn’t dare open her mouth. Catra had changed into a pair of loose red shorts that stopped mid thigh and a grey tank top that was clearly torn into a crop top. It took all of Adora’s willpower to keep her attention on Catra’s face and not on the fact that she clearly, thanks to the air conditioning, wasn’t wearing a bra. Her eyes, while the anger shown through, were mismatched and Adora knew she was staring.
“You can keep the water.” Catra took the bucket and gave the two remaining bottles back before glancing back over her shoulder. “Scorp, the cash is on the counter!”
“Coming!”
Catra took the cash and handed it over to Adora. “Try to keep cool today.”
Adora blinked as Catra turned and walked away while running a hand through her hair. Her tail was still twitching about in agitation.
“Uh, thanks,” Adora barely managed to get out but still got a wave over the shoulder in return before the woman disappeared around a corner.
“She’s… not normally like that,” Scorpia said quietly. “Not the best first time meeting her, huh? I’m really sorry about that. Do you want another bottle of water for the road?”
“It’s, um, it’s okay, really. These two are plenty.” She quickly counted the cash in her hand and pulled out the extra hundred bucks. “I think it was miscounted.”
“I assure you it wasn’t. Trust me, I tried.” She rubbed the back of her head. “She said it was too hot and you still showed up. But hey, thanks. Try to stay—“
“Entrapta, what the actual fuck is this?!”
“I should probably take care of that,” Scorpia said with a wince. “Um. Yeah! Get into some air conditioning. Your face looks a bit red from the heat. See ya next week!”
With that the door was closed and Adora let out a breath. She went back to her truck and turned it on before cranking the AC and fan to the highest setting before counting through the cash again. She closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the seat. Of course her newest client was the hottest woman alive in her eyes. Of course she would hand out a ridiculous tip and give her four bottles of water just because it was the hottest day of the summer so far.
With a sigh, she rolled up the windows and started her drive back into the city. The whole way she couldn’t get mismatched eyes out of her mind. Or the freckles on her cheeks. Or the way Catra looked in both a suit and next to nothing. Or the bit of lean muscle she got the pleasure to see. Adora groaned and hit her forehead against the steering wheel at a red light. Part of her hoped she got to actually meet the hybrid on a better day. The other part hoped it would remain as it had been with not seeing her.
Adora pulled into the small parking lot behind her apartment building and parked next to a low concrete wall to stay clear of most parking spots for other tenants. She rubbed her face and turned the truck off. After she made sure she had all of her keys and secured a small chain around the weed whacker, gas can, and front wheel of the lawnmower, she headed inside. Thankfully she had a few clients that called her and told her to show up the following day when the weather wasn’t going to be nearly as brutal and could call it an early day.
She hung her keys on her small hook by the door before kicking her boots off on the mat once she walked into her apartment. Adora went to the full bathroom and quickly got undressed before she started a lukewarm shower. As she was washing her hair with her eyes closed, all she saw was Catra’s face. Even if she was livid at the time, she was still someone Adora wouldn’t mind getting to know. Adora groaned and put her forehead against the wall. This whole situation could easily go so wrong.
“Adora!”
“Glimmer!” She covered her breasts with her arm and crotch with her hand frantically even though she was safely behind the shower curtain. “Could you knock for once?!”
“Where’s the fun in that? Anyhow, what do you want for dinner? I’m thinking something not hot. I can put in an order for that deli place.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. That’s fine. My usual.” Adora grabbed her washcloth that was draped over the faucet and put body wash on it. “Extra turkey.”
“Still want it warmed up?” Glimmer tapped Adora’s order into her phone.
“Warm it up on a day like this and I just might lock you out.”
“Noted. Jeez. The heat actually get to you today?”
“Sure. Something like that. Now get out. Please.” Adora washed over her body and when she washed over her crotch she whispered, “fuck.”
“Ooookay! That didn’t sound… sorry I interrupted!”
Adora heard the door close and threw the washcloth to the bottom of the tub. Her situation couldn’t possibly get worse. She turned the hot water completely off and stood under the freezing stream to cool herself off in more than one way.
_____________________
Catra chewed her bite out of the mostly meat sandwich she made herself for dinner. Scorpia and Entrapta were, thankfully, in agreement that it was too hot to cook anything.
“Would you like some bread with that meat?” Scorpia joked.
“You know I really can’t.” Catra let out a sigh. “Did I do or say something wrong? She didn’t even say hi. Fuck, she barely said thanks.”
“I mean, you were yelling all the way to the door,” Scorpia pointed out. “Maybe she just… I don’t know… maybe she just didn’t want to upset you more?”
Catra nodded and took another bite.
“I’m still unsure why the client you met with wouldn’t take your proposed timeline,” Entrapta said and typed away on her tablet. “Statistically, you have only been wrong about a deadline twice since achieving head of design and development. Both times were also due to severe inclement weather that set back those projects two and a half weeks.”
“Because he knows of me and what I did when I was in my teens.” She glanced up at Entrapta. “Honestly, I’m surprised I’m doing as well as I am.”
“I’m not!” She exclaimed. “Catra, you’re a leading designer for so many types of buildings and plots of land! Not to mention you’re one of the few that go to these work sites to check schedule.”
“Yeah, well, the CEO wasn’t exactly pleased to know I got into another argument today.” She took a bite from her sandwich. “Three this week.”
“Well, the data here shows that ever since you started with the designers, building permits and big time construction projects are on the rise. And you advanced to your position in record time. I suspect it has to do with the accuracy of plans, sustainable materials and practices, and quality. All things you brought up and contributed to as you were climbing the ladder.”
Catra gave a soft scoff with a smile. “Thanks, Traps.”
“You also seem to have a physical attraction to the new landscaper.”
Catra snapped her jaw shut instead of taking a bite and glared at her friend.
“You rarely worry about how you come off to strangers,” Entrapta pointed out simply and took a drink of her fizzy beverage.
“She does have a point,” Scorpia said.
“She’s attractive, sure,” Catra admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her. Besides, since when is a buff blonde with blue eyes and a stupid hair poof my type?”
“Since approximately two hours and seven minutes ago,” Entrapta said with a smile.
“I’m finishing this,” she held up her half finished sandwich, “in my room. Goodnight.”
Catra grabbed her plate and went to her room without another word. She sat at her desk and opened her laptop for a distraction. Adora was definitely attractive. Catra hated that Entrapta was right. She wasn’t doing that again. The last time she let those kinds of feelings win, there were so many strings attached that it left her angry and heartbroken for months when the other woman didn’t feel the same.
Now, the only hookups she had were with her hands and toys. And maybe some pictures and porn videos here and there.
Maybe she was just too pissed off from work to really notice Adora. What she did remember, and couldn’t stop thinking about, were her eyes, that stupid hair poof, and the white tank top that put her arms on full display.
Catra let out a short growl and bit into her sandwich after she pulled up a random show about myths and legends. It was mostly mind numbing and she was losing interest in it after some myth of an entire underground population of super bugs larger than cars. The people they talked to that were supposedly witnesses admitted to being on hallucinogens. She rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair with a foot on her desk before pulling out her phone to scroll through her social media accounts.
The universe was clearly in the mood to torture her. As she scrolled, an old acquaintance she didn’t talk to anymore posted a picture of herself and none other than Adora laying beside a vent for the AC with a caption ‘this heat can fuck off’. Catra ignored the pink and purple haired walking definition of glitter in favor of the blonde next to her. Seeing her at home was definitely different. She ditched the hair poof in favor of a messy bun. Instead of a tank top, she was in a sports bra. She also looked less than pleased and Catra couldn’t figure out if it was because of the picture or the heat.
“Shit!”
Catra hurriedly unliked the photo she accidentally liked. She put her phone on her chest and hands on her face with a loud groan. Maybe she would just get lucky and—
Her phone chimed with a notification.
Glimmer
What’s the deal, Horde Scum?
Cat
There is no deal.
Glimmer
I find that hard to believe with it being you
Cat
What’s that supposed to mean?
Glimmer
You know exactly what I mean
Cat
Whatever. I don’t do that shit anymore. You can leave me the fuck alone now. I didn’t mean to like the stupid picture.
Catra tossed her phone to her desk and closed her laptop with her foot. That was easily the most embarrassing thing she’s done in years. One of her dumbest ideas was to grab her phone again and tap Adora’s name in the tag. She started absently scrolling through her photos all while making damn sure she wasn’t going to like one on accident. Adora didn’t seem to post much and stumbling on a photo from the previous early fall was too easy. She was in swim shorts that stopped just above mid thigh and sports bra style swim top. And flexing like the jock she clearly was.
All Catra could do was stare. Her very unprofessional thoughts stopped at the knock on her door and became far too aware of her free hand just starting to dip into her waistband. She quickly pulled it away and threw her phone at her bed after closing the stupid social media app.
“B-busy!”
“Entrapta wants to know if you want to join us for a Super Pal Trio game night,” Scorpia said through the door. “She said you can have player one.”
“Uh, not tonight.” Catra pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m tired.”
“I’ll let her know to keep the volume down then. Sweet dreams, Wildcat.”
Catra hit her forehead on her desk a few times before moving to her bed. Maybe all she needed was an early night to have a reset. That had to be it. She plugged her phone in after setting alarms for work and pulled a light blanket over herself. As she laid on her back, she ran her hand down her stomach and into the waistband of her shorts. She let out a soft sigh when her fingers contacted her clit and continued lower. She closed her eyes as she ran her middle finger along her wet slit. All she could think about was her new landscaper. She stopped almost immediately and pulled her hand out of her shorts while her eyes snapped open.
“Fuck.”