The Brightmoon Institution (Catradora Boarding School AU)

Sugar Mommy Catra

"Interesting company, Adora."

They were seated at the dinner table, dim red and burnt orange lights glowing around them. It felt too warm, the heat of Weaver's gaze upon her. Catra reached out and put a hand on her thigh to steady her, and it helped. Immensely.

"I rather like it, thank you," Adora responded tensely, every fibre of her body on edge, even with Catra's touch to soothe her.

"It?"

Catra's tone was light and teasing, but in the atmosphere, it just put Adora even more on edge.

"Sorry. Her," she amended. The stress of the circumstances were clearly getting to her.

"You two were always such good friends, weren't you Adora?"

Weaver's question corresponded to the both of them, but somehow she communicated it only to Adora. It was as if Catra had vanished from the table altogether.

"Always," Adora replied. She smiled as a waiter appeared at their table, ready to take down an order.

"I'll grab some breadsticks, the ragu bolognese gnocchi and a side of the.... fried arrow squid. Oh, could I also grab a vanilla coke? And the lemon slice for desert, but if it's possible, could that come out later?"

Adora said her order in one large breath, trying not to shake as she exhaled. The waiter hurriedly wrote it down, flashing a smile before moving onto Catra, but they didn't get to chance to as Weaver cut in.

"That's quite a large order for such a young girl?"

Weaver's tone bordered on condescending and warning. Adora resisted the urge to gulp, wondering what she should cut out.

"If it's too much for you to pay I'm happy to cover the bill?"

For the second time in the night Shadow Weaver acknowledged Catra's presence, sending a cutting glare at the girl. Adora wondered distantly how Catra managed to hold such a persistent, focussed gaze. She'd shake if Weaver looked at her like that. But Catra didn't only maintain the stare, she had the sheer nerve to smirk. A small, taunting one that held for barely a quarter of a second. But it was there, and Adora couldn't help but look at her girlfriend in awe.

Gods, she was incredible.

"Money has never been much of an issue for me as it has been for you Catra. Just because you seem to have some now doesn't mean you have to thoughtlessly spend it."

Shadow Weaver scoffed, as if she was squabbling with an infant rather than an incredibly brilliant young woman.

"Apologies. It just seems that you can't even afford to feed your daughter. I, for one, don't see 'food' as a thoughtless expenditure. Adora, order whatever the fuck you want. I'll cover it since she can't."

Weaver's eyes narrowed behind the thin maroon veil, ice shining in the dark green.

"It's not the money I'm concerned about. I just doubt Adora can finish all of that, she's mindlessly ordering whatever's on the menu."

Catra scoffed, throwing down her napkin on the table.

"Have you seen Adora eat? Like, ever?"

"Should I just-"

The waiter interrupted them, seeming to sense the tension. Only an idiot could miss it. Adora nodded apologetically to them, asking for a few more minutes in a quiet voice. Catra snorted into her napkin, genuinely amused by the fact that Weaver didn't think Adora could finish that much food.

"Sorry, you can't be serious? This is Adora we're talking about. She could eat a horse if she wanted to."

Shadow Weaver looked affronted, leaning back slightly in her chair while staring at Adora. She didn't speak, preferring to take neither side, though she was furtively rooting for Catra.