Yearning, Learning - [Catradora Drabbles] [Returns 09/29/23]

14 - Coffee Shop

With how much word Bright Moon received, how many people lived there, and how many visits were made every day, it's no surprise new stores have begun to show up. Similar to how she'd spent weeks planning for a trip to the underwater hotel, Catra was now busy setting things up to spend her next day off there. Her next date would be at the new shopping center, but before that, she needed to visit it on her own first and later plan out from there. Though it was no doubt strange for her to prepare so much for something so mundane, she felt more at ease with a plan in mind, even for the simplest things there were.

It's her third and what she hopes is her last day of preparing. She already knows what the center looks like and has her first destination in mind: a coffee shop owned by Perfuma and Scorpia. Not only was it a calm and cozy place to start their date, but having familiar faces around made her feel less nervous about it.

A year's passed since she started living with Adora, and yet she still felt butterflies whenever she planned out dates with her.

Catra leaves hand-in-hand with Adora by her side only after she's revised her plan one more time.

"Ready to go?" Adora asks, noticing her uncertainty.

The one in question nods, though she grips her hand and waits for her to make the first move. When she does, she faces her girlfriend and takes a better look at the outfit she's wearing today: a sundress with colours similar to the sunset's. There's a flower clip decorating her hair and keeping her bangs out of the way, tempting Catra to jump at her and take the accessory off of her, just to see what her bangs looked like now that they were longer. She still had her famous hair poof, but it was growing out more, and she wondered if Adora would ever let her bangs loose, as she often did with the rest of her hair.

"Not that I mind you staring, but…" Adora speaks up and a grin shows on her face. "We're already here."

Catra's eyes widen and she can only respond by looking forward, the scent of coffee leading the way. "...How?" she asks. "We were at our place just a minute ago!"

"It's fine, y'know?" The blonde teases her further with a wink. "I don't blame you for being so distracted by me."

Catra scoffs and feigns anger by knitting her eyebrows, letting Adora's hand go, and crossing her arms. "I wasn't distracted." She meets her eyes and tries to contain her smile. "You distracted me. It's different."

Adora shrugs. "Same thing, different words."

Before the two can begin their usual banter, from the coffee shop exit both owners of the establishment, sweet and tangy scents wafting out behind them. Perfuma has two cups of coffee in her hands while Scorpia carries a tray full of pastries. The two of them smile and greet them in. "We've been waiting for you," the former of the two says, nudging at the one next to her. "Scorpia's been waiting all day to show you the new sweets she baked!"

The pair enter and reach out for the food offered to them, though the sweets almost end up on the floor with how excited Scorpia is and how difficult it is for her to keep the tray balanced in her hands. Even so, she manages to recover from her slip just in time and guides them over to the table Perfuma sets out for them.

"We'll be out of your tail in a minute," Scorpia says, taking a seat. "But first, try those out and tell us what you think!"

With the warmth of the shop, the amiability of her company, and the sight of Adora sitting nearby, Catra smiles bright and eases into the moment. She does as her friend says: takes a pastry first and brings it to her mouth, eyes closed as she readies herself to give her thoughts on it. A sweet taste spreads on her mouth, amplifying when she hears Adora exclaim a compliment about its taste. 

When she opens her eyes and looks to her side, she sees the tray has already lost a few more pastries, and evidence of where they went are present on her girlfriend's cheeks. 

Feeling it's a good moment to fulfill a staple for most romance novels, Catra leans in, smiles, and reaches out for her, kissing the cookie crumbs off her face.