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

18 - Dance

The two celebrate taking another big step through turning on some music and taking each other around for a dance. It starts out slow and easy, with a waltz similar to those played at the Princess Prom. Though as time passes, fast and energetic tunes begin playing, urging the both of them to let our their pent up excitement through different forms of dance, from upbeat salsa to poorly improvised tango, to other types they could barely even give a name to. 

Another catchy song plays just as they're thinking of calling it off for the day, and it's after that one ends that they agree on turning off the radio, having a drink to recover, and throwing themselves on the couch to rest. Adora goes for the remote while Catra fluffs up the cushions, readying up some space for her to cuddle with Adora in. Her heart's racing, though she's not sure how much of it's due to the reminder she was now engaged and how much of it was due to the fact they'd been dancing for a full hour. Dancing was, in a way, a masked and funner form of exercise, so it's no doubt over where part of her exhaustion comes from. She breathes in and out in search for some calm as she rests her back against the cushions, yawns, and stretches her arms out.

When she notices Adora hasn't joined her yet, she looks before her to see her girlfriend still seems to be having trouble finding a channel to watch, as her face remains glued to the television and she still has the remote pointing straight at it. "Do you… Do you want to dance for our wedding day?" she asks, still facing the television as she continues to pass by channels, barely giving any of them enough time to utter a word in context and much less reveal what the broadcast is about. 

Catra sits up straighter at the sound of that question. She faces Adora's back with a frown, confusion mostly seen in it and her voice as she says, "Of course I do. Why do you ask?"

She hears Adora sigh and sees her set the control down. She's left it on a performance arts channel, though she doesn't bother to stare at the television  screen anymore. Rather, Adora faces her lap and refuses to make eye contact with anything else around her. "I don't know why, but..." A huff leaves her mouth and she covers her face with her hands, still giving her back to Catra. "Even though it's been lots of years already, I… I got reminded of that time at the Princess Prom." Finally, she turns around and faces Catra with a weak and strained smile. "It worried me for a bit, but then I also felt better knowing we've come this far. So I guess I'm just not sure how to interpret those feelings, and if they're good or not."

Catra scoots closer to her girlfriend's side and hugs her from behind. She rests her chin on her shoulder and lets her ease into the embrace before saying, "If you're asking me, then I think it's normal." Her hold on her loosens for a moment, until she carries on with, "That waltz we did reminded me of that day, too, but after that, it… It made me feel better about ourselves and where we are now."

She lays back against the cushions again when Adora snuggles up next to her. They both stay quiet for a moment, enjoying each other's company until Catra adds, "...So even if it's normal or not, we've identified what's bothering us, and now we can work on it together, and I'd say that's pretty good all on its own." She kisses Adora's cheek at the sight of her smiling and brings her closer against her. "But what do you think, though?"

There's a short period of silence as she waits for her to find her answer. "I think so, too." Adora's smile grows and she returns Catra's kiss with a quicker one on the lips. "Thank you for listening."