Hero (english version)

Chapter 4

Darkness takes over the sky. After another long training session, an intermission, a break to eat energy bars, and a shower, the day hides to make way for the night once again. I walk silently to my bed, smiling as I gaze at Kyle, already sound asleep on his mattress. I rub my arms, in a vain attempt to get rid of that strange feeling that haunts me. I suddenly feel chills and... an intense feeling of discomfort. I don't know how to describe it. It's like something or someone was staring at me.

I take off my shoes before going to bed. I look up, losing my gaze somewhere up in the ceiling. A day has passed... and I feel as if it hasn't happened at all. As if nothing has happened. I feel... empty. If I had to choose what moments of the day I should keep in a box to never forget about them, it would only be two. A tiny smile suddenly takes its place on my face. Both of them with...

"Adora." Catra whispers, sitting like a cat on my left. I shift my gaze to meet hers. She cocks her head to the side, involuntarily moving her ears, sensitive to any tiny sound. I roll onto my side to look at her, while I smile. Our faces are just inches away. My instinct instigates me to kiss her. Just lay my lips on hers... just for an instant. However, something inside me knows that I can't do that. Not in front of everyone. Actually, I don't know why... is it wrong to be together? Why do I want to be closer to her than to anyone else?

Her tail moves restlessly with extreme lightness. "Can you promise me that if you can't sleep or if you dream again, you'll wake me up?" she mutters, cocking her head again.

"Of course." I nod, even if I'm not so sure about it.

Catra's gaze softens. I could even say that she's smiling at me through it. Suddenly, in just one agile jump, she climbs into my bed and settles at my feet. I watch her drawing in her tail, sticking it to her body. She gets her head comfortable and lets out a slight purr. I continue looking at her, until she suddenly opens her eyes. For some reason that I can't understand, I close mine.

"Pst, Adora." She calls out to me in whispers.

"What?" I answer, copying her tone of voice.

"Would you come with me to our special place?" She suggests. "There's something that I want to ask you."

I open my eyes to look at her. "What? Like... right now? It's late, they wouldn't let us go." I claim.

Catra shrugs, letting go an apathetic it's okay, don't worry. Something inside me falls apart. She gets comfortable under my feet, hiding her face and holding her tail. I leave my sheets behind, and I get closer to her, placing my hand on her cheek. I set my face on the mattress, laying just a few inches from her. Catra opens her eyes. Those curious eyes, the ones that can awake so much inside of me.

"Is it important?" I insist.

"No." She denies, not looking away.

"That means it's important for you." I smile.

"No way!" Catra cries out, louder than she should.

I sit on the bed, waiting for her to copy my movement. Once she does, after checking that the lights are still out and everyone continues with their deserved sleep, I do what I was dying to do a few minutes ago.

I kiss her.

Nevertheless, what I thought would be a brief kiss, suddenly becomes a slightly longer one, and most importantly, a reciprocated one.

When we separate, my hand is still on her cheek. "We'll go wherever you want to go." I tell her.

She smiles. I never see her smile like that. Only when she's with me. Catra wraps me in her arms, and I let myself be embraced. As she undoes that closeness, her hand slides into mine, pulling me to my feet and heading toward the exit. We slide down the hallways without making ourselves seen, much less heard.

After finally reaching our little personal corner, the figure of Catra drops gently onto the cold metal frame. I look at her, but she doesn't take her eyes off the dark infinity that envelops our sky. I copy her posture, staring at what reigns over our heads.

"I know I never usually tell you how I feel," she begins, without further delay, "but either I say this now, or I think I won't be able to take it anymore." Although I want to look at her, I don't do it. I remain motionless, without even knowing the reason for my attitude.

She suddenly speaks up. "What are we?"

I remain silent for a few moments. I know my answer is the stupidest thing I could ever say, but even knowing it, my lips articulate those meaningless words.

"Well, we're friends. Family. We're-"

"More than that." She ends.

I continue to avoid looking at her. But what is happening to me? I want to talk to her, touch her, reach a conclusion... So why am I not able to react?

"Listen, Adora, I don't know what this is called, but you know it is not the same. It is not the same with Lonnie, Kyle or Rogelio. You and me..." She stops for a couple of seconds. "You and me are more... attached." I feel a tear slide down my face, until it falls to the ground. Catra sits up, cocking her head once more at my absurd reaction.

"What's wrong?" She questions, with fear.

I shrug. I gather my next tear before this one runs the same fate as the previous one.

"I'm scared," I admit. "I don't know who I am." I sit, crossing my legs in front of me. "I don't know what this is, Catra. I don't know if it has a name or it's just like that. But something inside me tells me that others will not like it."

Her expression is sad. Her ears duck while her tail, so far restless, falls on the ground, ceasing to move. "Yeah..." She murmurs.

And that's it. She does not continue talking. Silence takes over the conversation. I wish with all my might to break it, but there's a lump in my throat, choking me more and more and preventing me from saying a word. I hide my face in my hands, trying to compose myself and face reality.

"Let's get out." I let go, at last.

Catra replies, stunned. "What?"

I raise my face to look at her. I can appreciate how her expression crumbles when she sees me cry.

"Let's get out of here. I want to discover Etheria, to see what is outside the Horde," I confess. "But I also want to discover you, and we won't be able to do that here."

"Why not? The Horde gave me a home."

"I'm not asking you to betray them, I wouldn't do it either. Never," I assure her. "I'm just saying that Shadow Weaver won't let us... be together. Not the way we want. She will say you are-"

"A distraction." Catra interrupts me. "What am I doing wrong, Adora? What's so bad about me?"

My expression changes. Bad? How can she thinks there's something wrong with her? Has she seen herself? Has she seen herself as I...?

"As I see her," I whisper, almost imperceptibly.

"What have you said?"

"That I need you to see yourself as I see you." I beg.

There is a pause. Catra takes a few minutes to process my plead. The colour of her eyes intensifies with the darkness of the night. "And how do you see me?" She asks.

And I kiss her again.

Suddenly, all the fear that gripped me disappears. It's just me and her, kissing in out favourite spot at night. I separate my lips from hers for a few moments, just so I could ask one thing.

"Catra, please, come with me."

This time, her tears were the ones that flowed up to her cheeks. That's why, when her lips met mine one more time, I knew the answer to my proposal.

A resounding Yes.