An Unlikely Match (Catradora AU)

Chapter 14

Adora ran around her kitchen, grabbing a banana and trying to get her stuff together for school. "Catra! Let's go!" Adora yelled to the living room. She heard Catra groan from the couch and looked in on her. Clothes littered the floor and Catra laid half asleep, her shoes still on. "Let's go," Adora repeated, stomping in and shaking Catra's foot. Catra swatted at her.

"I'm not going," Catra mumbled, turning away from her.

"Yes, you are," Adora felt a headache pulling at her forehead. She looked up and met her own eyes in the living room mirror. She looked young. 17 to be exact. 1 year before she left. Her face looked thin. Adora's heart sank. She turned to watch her mother walk knowingly down the hall, ignoring both girls and walking zombie like into the kitchen. "Mom! Can you please tell Catra she needs to go to school?" Adora asked. Her mother nodded without turning her head. Adora sighed.

"Fine. You don't want to go to school? Neither will I," Adora crossed her arms and planted herself on the couch, pushing Catra's feet off to make room. Catra looked up at her, annoyed. Angella turned to them, sipping on her coffee.

"Both of you need to go to school," Angella nodded softly before walking back up the hallway and closing her door behind her. Adora sighed.

"Always so much help," Adora mumbled to herself. She hated that these days played in her head so often. Memories of Angella falling into patterns of sadness so deep she was barely there and Catra so focused on her own demise that she didn't care who went down with her.

"You heard her," Catra wiggled her foot at Adora, "Get going." Catra raised her eyebrows at Adora.

"Can you please just make this easy for me? For one day?" Adora felt the exhaustion in her soul. She knew Catra wouldn't give. She didn't. Instead, she sat up and put her face nice and close to Adora's.

"Don't you get tired of being so perfect?" Catra whispered. She took a finger and wiggled it at Adora. "Come on. I have some ideas for a day off." Adora smiled as the dream slipped to their ultimate beach day with Catra laid out next to her in one of Adora's bikinis. Adora, wore a one piece with shorts on. Catra didn't say a thing. Adora wished she could actually feel the sun again. This day had been good. Catra was in good spirits at the time and the two were getting along. Adora reached for Catra to take her hand but she knew that's not how this went. She waited patiently. "Did you want me then?" Dream Catra asked. Adora looked at her confused. This was not something they had discussed that day.

"Did I... want you?"

"Yes."

"Yes," Adora said definitively, knowing now something she didn't know then. Catra didn't seem to hear her.

"Hm," Catra whispered quietly. Adora went to reach for her again but Catra moved away, unphased. "If only that were true. Maybe things could've been different."

"We're together now," Adora pleaded, "things are different."

"But you don't fit," Catra shrugged and gave Adora a face of apology like she had just told her they were out of cookies and not that their relationship was doomed, "You're too late," Catra continued. Adora reminded herself this was a dream. She sat up and looked at Catra, begging her to do what she actually did that day. Dream Catra gave her a grin and crawled over to her leaning towards her so she was inches from Adora's face. Her eyes briefly grazed Adora's lips but settled with meeting her eyes. Her hand gently touched at the edge of Adora's and Adora pulled back. Catra pulled back instantly, turning away. "How's Bow?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a few days. I've been busy with you," Adora smiled jokingly. This time she reached out a hand, unsure why she had pulled away at all. Catra ignored her.