The Nyanny - Ch 7

Catra’s Wednesday morning was surprisingly stressful considering it was her day off. 

Catra was sleeping snuggled into the pillows and blankets of her bed. She felt someone rocking her arm and stirred. She blinked her eyes open to see the little face of Finn standing in her room. It was such a unusual sight that it jolted Catra into action and she sat upright abruptly. Finn was startled by the action, their eyes getting big and ears going back against the mess of their hair.

“Finn, what’s wrong?” Catra asked, trying not to panic. She registered that the sun was already up and it must have been at least eight o'clock. It was strange that Finn was here at this time. Usually they would be with Ms. Grey on their way to work by now.

“Mama’s sleeping,” Finn whispered, they were still in their pyjamas and they looked so unsure. “I’m hungry,” Finn said softly as their ears drooped and Catra blinked at them as her brain caught up to the information she was given. She looked at her phone, it was almost nine in the morning and Ms Grey was still sleeping? That was concerning.

Catra quickly got up and grabbed her robe to wrap around herself.

“Let's get you some breakfast,” Catra said, smiling at Finn as she scooped them up so they knew they didn’t do anything wrong. Finn tittered as they wiggled in her arms but seemed reassured that they did the right thing. Catra walked them into the kitchen and sat them down in their chair to quickly make their breakfast.

She placed their bowl in front of them and turned on the coffee machine to start her own breakfast. Catra ruffled Finn’s ears playfully and crouched to their height to talk to them.

“I’ll be back in just a second, I just wanna check on your mum,” Catra said and Finn nodded as they set out to eat their breakfast and Swifty hung around waiting for theirs. Catra gave them a pet and promised to be right back.

Catra crept down the hallway quietly and softly knocked on Ms Grey’s door. She heard complete silence from inside and decided she needed to check that Ms Grey was alright. She opened the door a crack and could see Ms Grey laying on the bed with papers around her and her laptop still open. She looked so tired and was sleeping deeply.

Catra breathed a sigh of relief that Adora was ok but very tired. Catra snuck into the room silently and carefully picked up the papers. She put them in a pile and pulled the laptop from Adora's dormant hands before she closed it and added it to the pile of papers. Catra clicked the button to make the blinds go down and snuck from the room again. Hopefully that would make Adora more comfortable and wasn’t  oversteping. She clearly needed sleep, so in Catra’s mind she was on the clock now.

Catra was walking down the hall back to the kitchen when her work phone rang. She quickly muted it so it didn’t wake Ms Grey and answered.

“Hey,” Catra greeted Mermista.

“Great, at least someone answers my calls, I know it's your day off, but have you seen Ms Grey this morning?” Mermista asked and Catra returned to sit at the table.

“She’s sleeping, I think she really needs it,” Catra said and smiled as Finn looked at her curiously.

“I bet she does, she was up late for a meeting last night, I’ll rearrange her day,” Mermista said, the clicking of keys never stopping as she talked.

“Thanks, I’m home so I have Finn covered,” Catra said smiling at the little blonde who giggled.

“Great, I’ll see if I can move all her meetings to tomorrow, no need to overwork her if she does come in,” Mermista said and Catra nodded.

“True, thanks Mermista,” Catra said, ready to end the call.

“Speaking of working, are you, like, working this Friday night?” Mermista asked, the clicking of keys stopping.

“I’m not sure, I would have to check with Ms Grey, why?” Catra asked as Finn finished their food and wiggled out of their chair to go play. Catra picked up the bowl and took it to the sink.

“If you’re free, you should come out to drink with me after work,” Mermista said and Catra nodded. She hasn't been out to town in a long time, so it would be a nice change.

“Sure, who else is coming?” Catra asked curiously as she washed the bowl Finn used.

“Ugh, you think I like the people I work with?” Mermista said and Catra could hear her eye-roll.

“Good point, I’ll let you know,” Catra said, glancing over to check on Finn when she heard them drop something.

“Great, like, talk later,” Mermista said as the clicking keyboard resumed.

“Bye,” Catra said and put her work phone on vibrate before she opened her personal one to check the weather. It was going to be a sunny day which was perfect for a day off. If she ended up taking care of Finn for the day at least she knew she could convince them to nap in the sun with her.

Catra went to sit on the couch when Finn turned their attention to her.

“Mama’s really tired,” Finn said and Catra smiled at them as she leaned on her hand.

“Yeah, she's really busy,” Catra agreed.

“It's because she's a superhero and she saves people,” Finn said definitely and Catra smiled fondly at them.

“That's right buddy, she's making people's lives better,” Catra said and Finn nodded. Catra is set to make her own breakfast and feed Swifty. Once everyone was fed Catra played with Finn and their toys. Catra made sure they knew their mum was sleeping so they had to be quiet until she woke up. They seemed fine with that and played with Swifty once Swifty had inhaled their breakfast.

Catra’s work phone vibrated again and she answered it.

“Yeah?” Catra asked.

“I managed to get her meetings moved to tomorrow, so when she wakes up tell her she can go back to sleep,” Mermista said and Catra snorted.

“Yeah, sure. She will definitely listen to me,” Catra said, trying to brush a doll's hair with one hand, but it wasn't working very well.

“You’ve got as much of a chance as the rest of us,” Mermsita said and Catra thanked her before they ended the call. Catra returned to playing with Finn when she heard movement down the hallway.

“Mama,” Finn said with excitement and rushed over to the hallway just as Ms. Grey emerged into the light. She looked like she had gotten ready in a hurry, tidy but not immaculate like she usually was. As soon as she saw Finn she crouched to pick them up.

“Finny, I’m sorry I overslept,” Adora said quietly as Catra stood up, attracting her blue eyes.

“That's ok, Miss Catra said you were tired from helping so many people,” Finn said proudly and Catra felt her cheeks colour. Those weren't her exact words, but of course Finn would say it like that. Adora looked at Catra with a small smile that was warmer than she was used to. She supposed it wasn’t so bad to stretch the truth a little.

“I was very tired, but I’m awake now, so we can go to work,” Adora said and Catra lifted her hand to catch Adora’s attention.

“Mermista called, she moved your meetings." She said if you wanted to take the day to recover you could,” Catra explained and Adora looked a little taken aback.

“I couldn’t do that…” Adora said and Catra smiled.

“You could, I’m sure things will be fine if you take a sick day,” Catra said and Adora huffed a little laugh. Catra felt her fur fluff up at the unusual sound.

“I guess you’re right, what would you like to do, Finny?”

“Zoooooooooo!” Finn said with certainty and Adora smiled.

“Good, let's get ready,” Adora said, putting Finn down on the floor.

“Can Miss Catra come?” Finn begged immediately.

“Not today Finny, Miss Catra has the day off,” Adora reminded Finn diligently and Catra smiled.

“I actually wouldn’t mind coming, if that's ok,” Catra said and Adora looked up at her with surprise. Pleasantly surprised, Catra hoped.

“Are you sure? It’s your personal day,” Adora reminded her.

“I know, but I like the zoo, and it's nice to not go alone,” Catra said with a shrug as she tried to seem nonchalant. She hadn’t planned to go out today but the idea of going to the Zoo with Finn and Ms Grey was too tempting an offer to pass up. Ms Grey never took time off and it felt like a special opportunity to see her doing something she enjoyed rather than hanging around the house on her days off.

“Yess, Mama please!” Finn said with excitement and the biggest kitten eyes she had ever seen.

“We would be happy to have you, if that is what you would like to do,” Adora said and Catra smiled.

“Very diplomatic,” Catra teased, earning a small smile. Catra wanted Adora to say that she would like her to come with them, but it was a silly desire.

“Yes, well, work is work,” Adora said carefully and Catra rolled her eyes before she nodded. Finn ran off to their room to pick an outfit and Adora followed them to help. “Is half an hour enough to get ready?” Adora asked and Catra nodded.

“I can make that work,” Catra assured before Adora disappeared after Finn.

Adora ended up calling the office before they left the house just to make sure everything was fine and was promptly told to go back to sleep by Mermista.

Catra collected her analogue camera and dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts from her own wardrobe. She ignored the little voice in her head that reminded Catra that Adora liked her personal wardrobe. That was not why she wore it.

Adora and Finn were both wearing casual clothing which was a nice change from their usual for business wear Wednesday. Adora looked amazing in her mum jeans, t-shirt and a sun hat, it was unfair how she could wear anything and look effortlessly beautiful. Finn picked their own outfit and picked out as many clothing pieces with animals on them as possible. Their outfit consisted of loud green pants with zebras on them, an orange shirt covered in baby tigers and a panda hat that was far too fluffy and warm for the weather.

It was a warm day with a slightly cool breeze that was perfect for a day of walking. Catra enjoyed having company at the zoo, it was nice to not be the only one watching Finn and to be able to relax a little bit and take photos.

Finn insisted on holding hands with both Catra and their mother as they walked around the zoo. It was sweet but made it hard to take photos since Catra’s camera required two hands to operate. Despite the limitations, Catra got some truly beautiful shots of Adora holding Finn as they gave food to a baby monkey.

Before she realised it, the sun was setting over the city and Adora glowed in the warm colours of the sunset. She looked relaxed for the first time in Catra’s memory and it was a breathtaking sight to see.

[...]

Finn was exhausted from running around at the zoo, and fell asleep in their car seat on the way home. Adora carefully carried them up to the penthouse while she also wore both her own hat and Finn’s balanced on top of it.

“Thank you for coming out with us,” Adora said in the elevator. She felt so content and grateful to Catra for spending her personal time making Finn happy. It really felt like too much to ask for, but Catra seemed to have just as much fun at the zoo as Finn did with her there.

“It was my pleasure, it’s a lot easier with two people to keep an eye on Finn,” Catra said jokingly and Adora nodded. Finn could be a handful at times, and having someone else there to watch them made the whole experience easier.

“You should have seen them when they were two. They were barely walking but apparently they had places to be. It was terrifying to take my eyes off them for even a moment,” Adora said and gently kissed Finn’s head as they slept, a purr springing to life in their chest. That was something else Adora was grateful to Catra for. Finn has been purring much more lately, showing their joy the way that came naturally to them, and Adora couldn’t be more proud.

“I bet it was, they are smart and always up to something,” Catra agreed and Adora nodded.

“I know we took up your day off today. You should take another day off this week, I'm sure we can work it out,” Adora said and Catra nodded.

“Actually, I wanted to ask. Do you need me on Friday night?” Catra asked. Something needled in the back of Adora’s mind causing her to ask a stupid question.

“Why? Do you have a hot date?” Adora asked and immediately realised she overstepped. “Sorry, don’t answer that,”

“It's ok, Mermista asked me out for drinks. But I don’t have to go if you need me that night,” Catra said with a shrug like it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe it wasn’t for Catra. She didn’t have all the problems that Adora carried with her, so dating was probably a lot more fun for her.

“No, no, that's fine. We should be fine, you should go,” Adora said around the tightness in her throat. She didn’t really know why her heart was racing the way it was or why she felt anxious. It seemed to come out of nowhere.

“Are you sure?” Catra asked, she probably noticed how weird Adora was being about this.

“Yeah, it can make up for your missed morning off,” Adora tried to cover and Catra nodded.

“Oh, sure, if you like,” Catra agreed with a shrug as they stepped out of the elevator, holding the door for Adora and Finn. Once they were inside Adora felt that the tranquillity of the day had been broken by her intrusion and awkwardly excused herself to put Finn to bed.

[...]

Catra took Finn to the park to play on Thursday afternoon and was surprised to see Glimmer Moon there with Angel. It was a nice surprise for Finn to see their cousin and Catra could talk to another adult for a while.

Glimmer and Catra were making small talk while watching the kids play. They talked about the weather, the latest shows and shopping. Whatever they could think of to not let the conversation fall silent. It wasn’t anything deep but it was nice. There was a brief pause in conversation when Catra noticed a lolly Angel was offering to Finn and her ears pricked up.

“Just a sec,” she said to Glimmer and walked over to Finn. “Wait a second Finny,” Catra asked and Finn stopped from opening the wrapper and looked up at Catra curiously.

“They’ve had them before, they aren't allergic,” Glimmer said, coming over with her, obviously reading Catra's concern correctly. Catra focused on Finn and crouched to their level.

“Have you had this lolly before buddy?” Catra asked curiously as she took the lolly from their hand. Finn nodded, their eyes round as they followed the treat with their eyes. “Do you remember how it made you feel?” Catra asked in a soft tone. Finn shook their head.

“I’ve had these lollies before and they make me pretty bananas,” Catra explained carefully. In reality she was talking down the way it affected her. It made her hyperactive and impulsive, like she was on 10 litres of coffee and then she crashed and was unwell after coming down.

“Bananas?” Finn asked tentatively. Catra smiled reassuringly.

“Yeah, it makes me hyper and then I feel really yucky afterwards,” Catra said “do you feel like that when you have it?” Catra asked and Finn frowned cutely.

“I don't remember,” Finn said with a pout.

“That’s okay, how about we try it and we pay special attention to how it makes you feel. Then we know if you react like I do,” Catra said, there was a possibility that Finn wouldn’t have the same reaction because their birthing parent wasn’t a magicat. Catra wasn’t sure how that might affect them when it came to allergies and reactions. Finn nodded, excited they would still get their treat. Catra handed it back and let Finn settle down with their cousin to enjoy their spoils.

Catra went back to Glimmer who smiled.

“You’re really good with them,” Glimmer said and Catra smiled.

“Thanks, that lolly has a colourant in it that affects magicats differently to other species,” Catra explained what she hadn't said to Finn.

“I had no idea,” Glimmer said, looking a little guilty. She had given them to Finn before and clearly didn’t know that something was happening.

“Yeah, not many people know. Magicats are pretty sensitive to artificial stuff,” Catra shrugged, Glimmer knew now so that was all that mattered.

“Well Finn is very lucky they have you looking out for them,” Glimmer said, with a smile, but her expression looked calculating. Catra just smiled and looked back at Finn. “Speaking of…how is Adora doing?” Glimmer asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I’m not going to share her private life without her permission, if that's what you're asking,” Catra said firmly. Everyone was entitled to their privacy and Catra wasn’t going to tell her sister anything she learnt by being in Adora’s space.

“But we’re family!” Glimmer whined slightly and Catra smiled.

“Then ask her yourself,” Catra said and Glimmer huffed before she crossed her arms and pouted.

“I've tried! She doesn't tell me anything,” Glimmer said and Catra felt sympathy for her. She had no doubt that Ms. Grey was a hard woman to get to know. Even living with her for over a month she felt like she barely knew anything about her at all.

“Then she doesn't want you to know. She's entitled to her privacy,” Catra said, Ms Grey had the right to share what she chose to with the world or her family. If she chose to share nothing, then that was her decision.

“I get that but she’s just worrying about me. She acts more like Randy every day,” Glimmer said as she watched Angel and Finn jump up and run back to the monkey bars once they finished their treat.

“That's her father?” Catra confirmed, Randy was short for Randor, right?

“Yeah, he was selfless. He never asked for anything and was so loving,” Glimmer said, looking sad. “He was the kind of person you never had to ask for help, if you told him your problem he would just be there,” Glimmer said, sadness lacing her voice.

“He sounds like he was a great man,” Catra offered gently.

“He was, we were all really lucky to have him in our lives. I’m so worried that Adora will run herself into the ground like he did,” Glimmer said, watching the kids but she couldn’t hide her grief.

“How did he die?” Catra asked, unable to stop herself.

“He was in a car crash. They think he fell asleep at the wheel. He ran a red light and ended up in an intersection where a truck hit his car. He was the only casualty,” Glimmer said, holding herself a little tighter.

“That's so tragic, I'm sorry for your loss,” Catra said softly, wanting to offer some comfort but she wasn’t sure what was appropriate.

“Thank you. I understand you can't tell me anything, but I'm worried about my sister and I don't want to lose her. So please let me know if there is anything we can do to help her,” Glimmer asked, looking at Catra with glossy eyes filled with emotion. Catra nodded slowly.

“I think she just needs to accept more support, maybe try talking to her?” Catra offered lamely and Glimmer frowned before she smiled softly.

“You’re right, I should talk to her. Thanks,” Glimmer said gently and they both looked back towards the children.

“No trouble,” Catra said, feeling like she didn’t help at all. She watched Finn running around the playground with Angel. Finn deserved to have their mother in their life for as long as possible, so in theory Catra’s job of taking care of Finn meant taking care of Ms Grey too.

Catra could handle that.

[...]

Finn whined softly as they burrowed into Catra’s neck. They had gotten hyper at the park, running around and having fun before they crashed. They had complained about a stomach ache all the way home. Catra held them in her arms as she rubbed their back gently on the ride up the elevator.

“I don’t like that lolly,” Finn said sadly, and Catra rocked them as they waited to get to the top floor.

“I know, it will be ok. We’ll get you some medicine when we get home and you’ll start to feel better,” Catra said as she opened the front door with one hand and was surprised to see that Ms Grey was already home. She was in the kitchen making something and Catra came into the room with wide surprised eyes.

Adora was in what Catra would call casual clothes for her and wearing an apron. Adora turned and noticed them with a start.

“Oh, hi,” Adora said and Finn groaned. “Is Finn ok?” Adora asked, looking worried.

“They had something that upset their stomach, can you hold them so I can make them something for it?” Catra asked and Adora wiped her hands before she quickly came over to scoop Finn from her arms. Finn clung to her as they tried to purr but couldn’t keep it consistent with the discomfort.

As soon as Catra had her hands free she rushed around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients to make tea to settle Finn’s stomach. She could feel Adora’s eyes on her as she mixed everything together. The kitchen looked like Adora was halfway through making cookies and Finn’s favourites if Catra had to guess. Catra wondered what the occasion was for Adora to be home so early.

Catra made the tea and put some ice in it to cool it enough for Finn to drink. Adora settled on the couch to rock Finn and the sight was absolutely adorable. Adora took the cup from Catra and took a sip to check the temperature before she made a sour face.

“It will help, it just tastes bad,” Catra said with a laugh.

“Tastes bad enough to be good for you,” Adora said softly as she helped Finn sit up and sip the tea. They whined but drank the sour liquid. Once they were done Catra took the mug from Adora.

“I know I have the night off, but I can cancel if you need me,” Catra offered and Adora shook her head.

“No need, it's your night, we can handle things on our own,” Adora said, pulling Finn close kissing their head. Finn looked sleepy from their sugar crash and with the tea helping with the pain they started to nod off in their mother's arms.

“Ok, if you’re sure,” Catra said uncertainly as she gripped the mug she was holding with both hands.

“Of course, I hope you enjoy your date,” Adora said as her cheeks looked a little pink.

“It's not a date, I don’t think…” Catra said. She was pretty sure Mermista would have been clear if it was a date. Catra had no idea why she felt the need to correct Ms Grey about her dating life. Adora didn’t comment and Catra went to put the mug into the kitchen.  Adora took Finn to their room to settle them into bed.

With nothing else to do and her charge being taken from her care, Catra decided to get ready for her night out. Adora was home early so she had time to actually get ready instead of rushing through an outfit change.

Catra looked through all the clothing that Dee bought her but she didn’t want to use the work clothing she had since nothing really fit into the gay bar aesthetic. Catra turned to her own clothing instead. She found her favourite pair of black leather pants and a deep red crop top with a leather jacket over the top. It was the outfit she used to wear clubbing with Scorpia but somehow it felt like too much. She swapped the top for a red one with a boob window and it felt better. She did her makeup and hair before she realised she was ready too early instead.

The idea of loitering around the house while Adora was taking care of Finn felt weird to her so she put her jacket on and snuck out into the hall in her high heeled boots.

Adora was back in the kitchen making cookies when she heard Catra and looked up. She stopped moving immediately except for her eyes that skimmed over Catra’s outfit. Catra felt nervous under her appraisal but the colour that came to Adora's cheeks was a bit of a confidence boost. Adora looked back at the cookies.

“Enjoy your night,” Adora said, clearing her throat and Catra nodded.

“Call me if you need me,” Catra offered again.

“We won’t, but thank you,” Adora assured her, and it made Catra a little sad.

“Right…of course, goodnight,” Catra said and grabbed her bag. Ms Grey’s words felt painful even if they were true. Ms Grey was an independent woman, she didn’t need Catra’s help.

[...]

Catra arrived at the bar where she agreed to meet Mermista. It was on the corner of a big block with flashing lights in the windows and gay flags hanging from every surface possible. Catra got them a booth since it was still early in the night and sat down to wait for her partner in crime.

She wasn’t there long before someone approached her and started a conversation. It was flattering but Catra reminded herself that she wasn’t interested in dating and told the person she was waiting for someone. They seemed disappointed but they left her alone.

Mermista arrived looking like a million dollars draped in a gold and navy blue dress. Mermista looked at Catra’s outfit and whistled.

“You look hot,” Mermista said and Catra rolled her eyes at the compliment to hide her embarrassment.

“So do you,” Catra said and Mermista dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“I know, let's get some shots,” Mermista said and Catra reluctantly agreed. She didn’t want to get messy when she had to go back to her boss’ house at the end of the night. But she could start big and slow down later so her metabolism could sober her up.

Shots are usually not Catras' friend because when she drinks heavily she gets too blunt and that usually gets her into trouble. Catra kinda wanted to let off some steam and let loose a little but that meant giving her strong opinions centre stage.

Mermista had been talking about the latest celebrity gossip and Catra was listening with the same level of interest she gave her mum. She was considering how much Mermista and her mum would get along when she shook herself and forced herself to pay attention to what Mermista was saying.

“She was wearing this tight black dress with a slit up to her tits and it looked so hot, you should have seen it,” Mermista said, talking about a celebrity Catra forgot the name.

“Damn that's hot. You know who else is hot?” Catra asked, changing the subject immediately without knowing where she was going with it.

“Who?” Mermista asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she slipped her cocktail.

“Adora Grey,” Catra said, not expecting her own words as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“Oh my god, right? She’s so hot,” Mermista agreed as she swirled her drink and Catra tried to hide her blush by drinking more of her own cocktail.

“Have you ever hit on her?” Catra asked, because she had no control over her mouth right now. Her mind was apparently singularly attached to Ms Grey.

“Oh no, as much as I’d like to. I was there for the Melody era, so I know that ship has sailed.” Mermista said, though her eyebrows creased with a frown, “I was Mr Grey’s assistant first and Adora used to come and have lunch every week with her dad. Did you know that she used to be a dancer?”

“No, I had no idea what type of dancing?” Catra asked curiously, sipping her delicious drink despite how she didn’t need any more alcohol. It was just so tasty.

“Ballet, she was really good and she had a really promising career too, until Melody happened to her,” Mermista said, with venom in her words.

“Did you meet Melody?” Catra asked, she didn’t know much about Melody, but she was yet to hear a redeeming feature about that woman.

“I did, a couple of times, she didn’t like to talk to ‘the help’ as she put it,” Mermista said, rolling her eyes.

“What a bitch,” Catra said and blushed as she pushed her drink away. “I need to slow down on these,” she said, as much to herself as Mermista.

“You’re doing fine, safe space or whatever,” Mermista shrugged as she pushed Catra’s drink back towards her. Catra knew on some level she shouldn’t keep drinking it, but it tasted so good so she resumed sipping.

“What do you think of her? Melody I mean, since we already know what you think of Ms Grey,” Catra said playfully, feeling a little tight chested at her own joke. She pushed the feeling away.

“I would be LUCKY to catch Adora’s eye, in all the years I’ve worked for her I have never seen her look twice at someone, or show any interest,” Mermista said, holding eye contact with Catra for a moment before she shrugged. “Melody is the worst." After what she did to Adora, if I ever met her again, I would burn her alive.” Mermista said with a fire Catra hadn’t seen from her before. It was kind of sweet.

“After what Adora…uh, Ms Grey said about her, I think I would too,” Catra said thinking back to that night on the deck.

“Adora’s told you about her?” Mermista asked with surprise, she tipped her head as her expression evolved into a smirk.

“Uh, yes, but she wasn’t herself at the time, so it's not a big deal,” Catra excused. Ms Grey was intoxicated and everything she said was a reflection on her intoxicated state and had nothing to do with how she felt about Catra.

“I beg to differ, she never talks about Melody. Not since she won the custody case, she has been completely stone walling everyone about her,” Mermista said as she stabbed an olive in her drink and ate it with the toothpick.

“Custody case?” Catra asked, she wanted to stop asking, give Adora her privacy but she was so curious and she’d had too many drinks to hold back now.

“Yeah, back when Finn was born, Adora took Melody to court to get sole custody of Finn, since Melody was registered as their other parent. Melody didn’t really care about Finn, but she did want compensation, which Adora gave her. I hear it was alot,” Mermista said, drinking her drink and glancing towards the bar. “I know we said we would go to the club after this but did you wanna stay here and order food instead?” Mermista asked and Catra perked up.

“I am pro food, I didn’t eat before I left,” Catra explained, she didn’t realise how hungry she was until food was mentioned.

“That explains a lot, I didn’t expect you to be such a lightweight,” Mermista said playfully and Catra scoffed.

“I have literally drunk twice as many shots as you,” Catra defended, admittedly, that wasn’t much for a magicat and she should eat something to sober herself up before she drank more."

“Yeah but that's a lightweight for a magicat,” Mermista teased and Catra stuck her tongue out at her.

“Fine, lets get food and I can drink more,” Catra said and Mermista grinned.

“Sounds like a plan,” Mermista agreed.

As the night was wrapping up, Catra felt warm. She was full of alcohol and indigent bar food that she hadn’t had in the longest time.  Mermista and her shared many conversations that Catra remembered enjoying but couldn’t quite remember exactly what was said. She had a really fun night. Catra didn’t have many friends because of her previously strict study schedule so this was a nice night making a new friend.

They were waiting outside the bar for their driver to arrive and Mermista was wearing Catra’s jacket because it was cool but Catra was running hot. Mermista had called the same car service that Adora used and Catra had to wonder if Mermista or the company was paying.

A thought occurred to Catra as she considered her earlier conversation with Ms Grey and she turned to Mermista.

“Mermista, was this meant to be a date?” Catra asked bluntly and Mermista smirked.

“Do you want it to be a date?” Mermista asked, her eyes sparkling as she watched Catra with interest. Catra thought about it for a moment before she decided.

“No, I don’t think so,” She said honestly.

“Same, you’re hot as fuck, but it would never work between us,” Mermista said a little dramatically.

“Oh yeah, why not?” Catra asked and Mermista rolled her eyes.

“Well, besides that little problem of yours,” Catra wasn’t sure what that meant, had she talked about a problem she was having? “I’m not ready to settle down and you are the kind of girl someone needs to marry,” Mermista said and Catra hit her on the arm in outrage.

“What does that mean?” Catra asked, scandalised.

“Stars, I mean your wife material? Why are you, like, mad at me?” Mermista said, her cheeks colouring as she rubbed her arm.

“You make it sound like a bad thing. I’ve fucked around plenty,” Catra defended needlessly.

“Oh yeah? And who breaks it off? Them or you?” Mermista asked and Catra was quiet as Mermista smirked. “It’s always you isn’t it?”

“Well yeah, they always get so attached!” Catra said and Mermista lightly smacked her arm in return.

“It's because they want to take you home to their mum,” Mermista teased and Catra scowled.

“Noo, I’m not old enough to be wife material!” Catra whined and Mermista hooked her arm around her neck.

“Yes you are. Now let's get you home before someone tries to, like, propose,” Mermista teased and Catra stumbled under Mermista’s extra weight. Maybe she had too much to drink after all.

“That's probably a good idea,” Catra said, putting her hand to her head as she felt a little dizzy. When the car arrived the driver spent far too much time looking in the mirror at them. Catra was pretty sure she had seen this driver before, but right now his moustache was creeping her out.

[...]

Adora was seriously considering eating the cookie dough raw like she was a pining 16 year old. She instead cut up the cookies and put them in the oven. She wasn’t sure if Finn would be asleep for the night but at least they could have cookies if they did wake up feeling better.

Adora didn’t want to admit that she was feeling lonely, but she was. It would be nice to have someone else to make cookies with. She checked on Finn a few times to make sure they were sleeping soundly. They seemed content to sleep and didn’t wake up for dinner.

Despite being lonely, Adora was enjoying her free afternoon. A major meeting was cancelled due to a city wide power failure in Dryl so she decided to spend the extra time with Finn. That had not worked out, but she hadn’t baked since before Finn was born and it felt good to reclaim something that was lost after Melody left.

Adora sat on the couch, turned on the tv and muted it while she waited for the cookies to be done. Catra, in a pair of leather pants, was a sight that Adora didn’t know she was missing and now may never get out of her head.

She tried to distract herself by looking at the bookshelves as she sat on the couch. She felt guilty neglecting her books and went to the only book she opened regularly. It used to be her favourite.

She cracked the spine to look through the pages. All over the pages was red writing. After Melody was told about the prenup she had taken her time to write all over Adora’s favourite book. Melody was a special kind of petty. She had read the book before and told Adora that she loved it, but her red angry words reminded Adora that she was a perfect little liar.

Adora hadn’t looked at this book in months, but every time she did it helped to remind her why she didn’t date. She may be lonely right now, but she needed to date with intention because it wasn’t just her she had to think about. She had Finn and she needed to find someone they would like too. Adora turned to another page and noticed something she hadn’t noticed the last time she had read this book.

Neat pencil writing in the margins rebutting the red writing.

On this page was the first meeting of the main character and the love interest, Melody’s words read “SHE WAS A FOOL FOR FALLING FOR THIS!” in a jagged angry script. Catra’s rebuttal was simply “we are all fools in love.” Adora recognised the line from the book Catra had been reading the other night. Has Catra finished Pride and Prejudice already and started on this one? Adora felt embarrassed that Catra had seen these words meant for Adora’s heart only. Just to hurt her.

Adora rarely read romance, but she enjoyed the few books she had read. This story was her favourite because the romance was the kind she not only wanted to give, but also receive. Melody knew that, but Catra didn’t. Catra was simply rebutting the text in the book, not knowing who wrote it and she did it in pencil incase Adora wanted to remove it. Catra was arguing against Melody’s cruelty and mockery simply because she disagreed, not because she knew it was Melody.

Adora felt warmth spread through her chest as she walked back to the couch, excited to read through her favourite book for the first time in years.

She paused her reading only to take the cookies out of the oven and eventually turned off the TV since she wasn’t giving it any of her attention. Adora didn’t notice the time passing until she heard the jingle of keys in the door.

She looked up as the door opened and felt panic shoot through her. What if Catra thought she was waiting up for her? What if Catra brought Mermista back here? Adora only managed to get to her feet before a tipsy looking Catra stumbled out of her shoes as she came down the hall.

“Woah,” Catra said, righting herself by leaning on the wall. She saw Adora and blushed as she still tried to pull her boot off with one hand.

“Are you alright?” Adora asked lamely and Catra nodded her head before she dropped her boots on the floor.

“Yeah,” Catra said, looking at the book in Adora’s hands and pointing to it. “Some bitch wrote in that book, also me, sorry,” Catra said and looked towards the kitchen as her ears perked up “omg, you made cookies?!” Catra asked with excitement and then immediately shhh’ed herself. “Finn’s sleeping,” she scolded herself as she went to the kitchen island and instead of walking around it she laid her whole torso on the surface to reach the cookies on the other side.

Adora tried to stay in the living room but she felt pulled towards Catra. In a way she wanted to repay Catra’s care of her when Adora was intoxicated, but really she wanted to know Catra was alright and more than that, she wanted to be in her presence.

“Here, I’ll make you a cup of tea,” Adora said, going into the kitchen and putting the kettle on.

“Yess, that would be amazing,” Catra said, pulling one of the stools closer to sit on. She managed to do it without falling on the ground which was impressive given she almost missed the seat completely. “Merm’s gave me shots,” Catra grumbled and laid her face on the cool marble countertop before she realised she couldn’t eat her cookie and sat up again.

Adora was trying to keep herself from smiling at Catra’s adorable actions and commentary. She didn’t want Catra to think she was laughing at her, but it was so cute. The kettle finished boiling and Adora made Catra’s tea just how she liked it. Adora slid Catra’s drink over the counter but not too close incase she knocked it over.

“Did you have a good night?” Catra asked as she ate her cookie. Adora considered the question. She had enjoyed her night in the end. As much as she loved Finn, it was nice to relax and do nothing of value while they slept.

“I did. Finn didn’t get up, so I have been reading,” Adora said motioning to the book she had placed on the counter while making tea.

“Amazing, I love reading,” Catra said, around the cookie in her mouth. Adora was reminded of Finn for a moment and smiled.

“I know. You’ve given my books the love they deserve,” Adora said regretfully.

“You should make more time to read them, you have some really good ones,” Catra said, sliding the warm tea closer to dunk her cookie in the liquid. Adora watched with interest as she leaned back against the countertop across from Catra.

“You can’t create time,” Adora said and Catra made a noise in her throat. It was possibly the cutest thing Adora had ever heard.

“You’re right, but you can prioritise. You only have one life, why would you spend all your time at work?” Catra asked, taking a bite out of her partly dunked, melted cookie and looking pleased with the outcome. Adora blinked at Catra. She had a point. “Not to mention, Finn is growing so fast, do you want to miss that?” Catra asked, and Adora’s chest tightened. Drunk Catra was blunt.

“Are you trying to lose your job?” Adora tried to joke, but it didn’t land over the tightness in her chest.

“Are you going to fire me for being drunk on my own time, boss?” Catra rebutted quickly, her eyes hooding in challenge and Adora felt her cheeks warm.

“Please don’t call me that,” Adora said and Catra made a whining noise before she muttered something under her breath. “I meant, that if I was home all the time, I wouldn’t need a Nanny,”

“Not true, you need time for yourself. You know, read a book, date, or whatever you want to do with your time,” Catra said, her cheeks colouring as she looked away. She finished her cookie and picked up her tea with both hands.

“I’m not sure what I would do with that much time,” Adora said honestly and Catra looked back at her with an almost sober look in her eyes.

“Maybe it's time to think about what you want,” Catra said and Adora nodded her head slowly. Catra finished her tea and slid out of her chair to put the mug on the sink. She seemed much more sober already and Adora wondered if it was her fast metabolism at work. Adora jumped when Catra put her hand on Adora’s shoulder and looked at her seriously.

“I need to be horizontal. Good talk,” Catra said, in one smooth movement she slipped off her jacket and Adora saw her top for the first time that night. Another mistake. Adora’s eyes were drawn to the window over her chest when Catra turned and walked back to the hallway. Adora had the good sense to look away before Catra bent down to pick up her shoes. Adora didn’t need anything else to haunt her.

“Goodnight,” Adora said and Catra parroted it back before going into her room. Adora wanted to know more about Catra’s night but she knew it wasn’t her place to ask. They weren’t friends and it wasn’t Adora’s business. She just wanted to know because she was nosey.

That was all.