#ricewrites

Love of My Life

*picture*

bought a little something here at Paris ;)

12:55pm

The picture shows off his neck down wearing a pair of thin lacey white panties and black stockings with white lace trimming on top that went around his upper thighs.

Gwilym lets out a small gasp and immediately presses the bottom to lock his phone. He looked up to see if the guys noticed him in shock, but they were busy chatting to each other waiting for the next interviewer to come in. He then coughs to clear his throat, trying to make it so nothing had happened just now.

Jesus Christ. Why did he even look at his phone for?

He feels another light buzz from his hand. He knows he shouldn’t check it.

Love of My Life

*picture*

saw it in black too

*picture*

1:02pm

Gwilym feels like he is having an asthma attack. All of the air in his lungs got sucked out of him when the second image on his phone popped up.

Ben was wearing the same pair of panties but in black. He was wearing the same stockings also having black lace trimming. What was different this time was that the stocking and the underwear were connected by black garters.

Garters. Fuck.

He grabbed the water bottle that was on the side table next to him and took a sip.

Okay. Fine. A big gulp of water. His mouth was dry.

The second picture was the worst for the brunet. It was Ben, on his knees, leaning against arms that were in front of him, and sitting on some couch. The picture was taken from behind showing the roundness of the blond’s bottom. The pair fitting really nicely around it and another pair of garters were connected from behind as well.

Just the thought on Ben on his knees with the set on, waiting for Gwilym to get home just to pull the lacy pair aside enough to put his hard cock into him. Ben letting his high pitched moans out of his mouth and filling the room with his and Gwilym’s grunts as he thrusts into Ben. Seeing his cheeks red from his hand slapping them. Looking at his muscular back full of love bites and long red scratches all the down to his ass from Gwilym.

And no one else.

Brings him here. To have a full-on erection and a dry mouth.

He then proceeds to cross his legs and takes another drink from the bottle.

“Hi, guys! Nice to meet you all!”

The voice of the interviewer comes across from him. He quickly looks up and then down again at his phone and turns it off. The man puts his hand out to Gwilym and he takes the hand to shake it. Gwilym and the rest reply to the interviewer.

*

It’s been only three, two-minute interviews and Gwilym feels like its been six hours.

He just wants to text, call, whatever Ben back. He wants to tell him that he should have not been teasing the brunet like that so he’s hard throughout the whole press interviews.

“You good, Gwilym?” He hears his name and he looks over at his friends looking back.

“Uh yeah, I’m okay. I’m just exhausted.” He clears his throat.

“What did you do last night? Stay up all night?” Joe asks, smiling.

Gwilym remembers last night pretty well. It was very late since Ben was seven hours ahead of him and the brunet was wide awake. So awake, Ben and he were talking. Well. More than just talking. The brunet was stroking his cock while he was shamelessly dirty talking to Ben over the phone.

“Right when we get home, I’m shoving you down onto your knees and making you choke on my dick then I’m taking you right there. There on the floor.” He could hear Ben whining and mumbling ‘yes, sir’ on the other line.

He was huffing his name loudly on the other side of the phone just coming along with him.

This flashback only just made him even harder.

“Something like that, yeah.” Gwilym chuckles a bit back.

Then the next interviewer comes in.

*

His erection was no more at this point. He has opened his legs for a couple minutes relived just not thinking about Ben and his little underwear hiding his hard dick in them.

Jesus.

“And that was the last one, guys.” The agent stands up from the chair.

“Thank god.” Gwilym sighed. Grabbing his phone from his pocket. He unlocked it and the picture of Ben sitting (so pretty he adds) on the couch is left on it.

“I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t see that,” Joe looks up at Gwilym, frowning a bit. “but since when did you have a girlfriend?”

Great.

“Oh. Um. This-uh not very long. Maybe a couple of months.” Gwilym turns his device face down and stumbles his words talking to his friend.

“And she sends you those kinds of pictures?” Joe huffs.

“Yeah. He’s- she’s something.”

*

Gwilym opens the door out the car and thanks to the driver, rather quickly.

He couldn’t wait to call his boyfriend on the phone. He couldn’t wait to see his boyfriend in the pretty knickers he bought. He couldn’t wait to hear Ben.

Buzz.

Love of My Life

hey babe. you done?

I wanna play with you <3

2:56pm

He really couldn’t.

He takes the steps up to his hotel door and struggles to unlock it with the key. His hands are shaking. He shuts and locks the door behind him. Drops his keys onto the kitchen counter, rolls his jacket off his shoulder to hang it up on the coat rack and toes his shoes off next to the door then heads to the bed.

Gwilym taps a few on his cellphone, grinning.

Calling Ben…

Immediately he hears the ringing stop.

“Hello?”

“Hey, love. How you today?”

“Let’s just cut to the chase. I’ve been fucking waiting for you all day.”

Accept video chat?

Gwilym chuckles and clicks accept.

He sees Ben’s face and his head against the headboard. He’s biting his lower lip.

“Biting your lip huh? Already?” Gwilym’s little rectangle screen on the top right shows him smirking.

“Shut up,” Ben replies. “Wanna see?”

Ben’s camera moves towards the bottom of his torso. Gwilym could see his abs, pecks and his head.

Gwilym's starts rubbing the tent in his pants already half hard. “Lower.”

Ben smiles. Ben takes the phone and sits up. The brunet raises an eyebrow. “What are y- oh.”

The phone is stood up placed somewhere so you could see Ben’s whole body and his face.

And what he’s wearing.

It was the white knickers with the white lace trimmed stockings. Like the first picture, he sent Gwilym.

Gwilym’s mouth gaped open. A little stunned.

“You’ve seen a picture already. Close your mouth. You’ll catch flies.” You could hear Ben’s voice echo a bit.

Gwilym shuts his mouth close and swallows. His mouth dry. “I know. You just look prettier than in the picture, love.”

Ben stands up and walks in a sultry manner in front of the camera showing his whole body. “You like it?” Ben has his hand on his left hip. Ben’s white lacy knickers engulf his hard cock. Gwilym nods and rubs a little harder on his erection. “Wait. Watch this.”

Ben backs up from the phone to show even more of him on the camera. He then turns slowly. Finally reaching his backside, Gwilym can see Ben’s round bubble bottom. The knickers reach only a third of the butt and the rest slightly bulging out from them. Ben reaches around and grabs his bottom to shake it little. It jiggles. Gwilym lowly growls as he sees it bounce.

“You like that?” Ben asks. Waiting for Gwilym’s head to nod. He then grabs a hand full of it and lets go of it to smack it. He jumps and gasps. It creates a pink outline of his palm. Gwilym watches as it turns in pink, his pupils grow bigger and his irises have become a smaller ring around it. “Sir? Gwilym?”

“Do it again,” The brunet commands Ben with a groan.

He does it again on the other cheek and he hisses louder. Ben’s hand hits it harder. Hard enough that it immediately turns red. Ben turns to the camera and he can see Gwilym already has his cock out stroking it slowly. His fingers wrapped around it. “What are thinking about?” Ben whispers.

“You,” Gwil’s answers back groaning a bit. Ben rolls his eyes.

“What about me?”

“I just got to my home. I open my door and hear some moaning coming from upstairs. I walk up to see you on my bed. Face down with your bottom up. I’m quiet watching you stick a dildo in you with those knickers down to your knees. Once you got it in, I walk in and startle you. I go on the bed and I’m right behind you. Telling you that you are a good boy waiting for me and trying to fit this toy inside of you.” Ben is already on his bed stroking his hand above his panties alongside with Gwilym.

“Fuck, sir.”

“I grab the pretty knickers and pull it up. Back onto your hips. It, of course, fitting nicely back on.”

“Aren’t you gonna fuck me?” Ben whines into his pillow, but still loud enough to hear him.

“No. You are gonna show me you are good enough to get what you want so you pull down my zipper and suck my cock. You would do so well, wouldn’t you?”

Gwilym could see Ben nod.

“What?”

“Yes. You know I would. I would suck your cock so well.” Gwilym can see the underwear have a dark spot right in front of the underwear making Gwilym grow harder.

“Then I wouldn’t be satisfied until your lips are red and your eyes are watery and can’t take it anymore.” Ben takes the underwear and slips it down far enough to tuck it under his balls and gets his fingers around his cock.

“I would flip you around and onto your stomach. I would wait a minute to just look at your ass in these knickers 'cause it looks so damn sexy. I pull the lace aside and see the toy plug you up. It’s huge. God. I’m so proud of you trying to put it, but you need something else. Don’t you?”

“Yes. I want you. I want your cock.” The blonde’s fingers travel behind him and into his crack.

“I pull out the dildo and see you so open. Jesus. So beautiful. I take my hands and spread your cheeks wider. You know what happens next.”

“Uh huh,” Ben already has a finger in him to the knuckle.

“My tongue teasing you then into your heat. Opening you up, making it wetter just for me. All me. Your ass tastes so good. I could eat you all day like candy love, but you don’t have all day? You want me to fuck you? You want me to put my cock into you and fuck you hard.”

“Yes. Yes.” Ben has two fingers in and out of his ass. He wants Gwilym to say the words already. He wants him to fuck him already.

“Earn it.” Gwilym roughly says. He wraps his hands tighter around his cock. “You have to earn it.”

Ben knows exactly what he’s talking about and he’s not all above doing it just to get what he wants, “Sir. Please. I-I want you to fuck me. Please. Take me hard. Please. God. Your cock in me now. I’m your slut. I bought these knickers for you. Just for you. Please fuck me.”

“You are a slut. You are so naughty for sending me those pictures. I got so hard whilst talking to those people. I wanted to focus on the questions but all I could think of was you and those pretty lacey knickers. You are so much trouble. You hear me?” Ben whispers a 'yes, sir’ “I shove my dick into you not giving a second for you to adjust. I hear you whine high and loud for me when I thrust into fast. I want you to feel this. I want you to feel me all week. Walking around the movie set limping for me.” The brunet’s eyes shut knowing it was time. “I’m so close, love.”

“Me too. Fuck.”

“Every time I see you reach down to your dick, I’m going to slap it away. You can’t come yet. You are such a naughty boy. You understand me?”

“Yes, sir. Okay.” Ben hisses. He can feel him on the edge. Heat building up in his stomach.

“I pull out of you and see your hole red. Wet from my spit and I want to come inside of you. Fill you up full. I take the toy and plug you up again. My cum inside of you. I’m in you all the time now. Jesus. I’m going to come.”

“Please. God. Can I come? Please, sir?” Ben is pulling on his red tipped cock waiting for the word for his release, rambling his words. “Baby please?”

“Come for me, love. Show me that you miss me. All over those knickers. Come on,” Gwilym commanded also stroking faster along with Ben. “I love you so much. So fucking much.”

That did it for Ben. He came onto his fingers and on his white panties. He cries high and then bites his red lips. Gwilym also gets it on his hand and then huffing with his chest heaving.

“I love you too,” Ben responds minutes after they both release. The brunet smiles into the camera.

“I miss you so much. How long do I have?”

“Six more days. Six.”

Gwilym groans, “I can’t wait that long.”

“It’s weird. Usually, press tours don’t take that long. Why is that?” Ben questions.

“I don’t know. It is very confusing.”

Gwilym smirks, looking at his luggage all packed up then at the clock in the hotel room.

A single key, a single ring; Korra was returning what was no longer hers. Her own keys felt lighter, yet heavy at the same time. Korra knew that extra weight wasn’t from the keys, but she couldn’t bear to think of any other answer at the moment. A single key on a single ring rested between her thumb, pointer, and middle finger.

Korra kept her head down when she came in. She didn’t have to look up to know Asami was sitting at her kitchen table. That small wall clock kept ticking, pounding in Korra’s head. It had to be like a bandaid, she had to rip it off, she just needed to do this. In a deep breath, she walked over to the kitchen table and placed the key down.

Asami simply whispered, “Thank you.”

Korra nodded, finally looking at her. Arms crossed, face expressionless, she looked paler to Korra. Sun was pouring in but somehow the room looked dull. Korra brought her eyes toward a window, the illumination reminded her of the times her and Asami laid together on the settee, basking in the warm light from outside. She bit her cheek.

“Did you ever find my other sweater?” Korra asked, stuffing her shaking hands in her jean pockets.

Asami replied, “No.”

“Can I look for it?”

When the question wasn’t declined, Korra quickly walked to the bedroom. Walking through the door frame brought her back to the nights she stayed over, she almost got in bed. She stopped when she noticed the side she would sleep on was covered in pillows and extra blankets. She swallowed, shaking her head and going to the closet. She slid the door open, looking at hanging tops and folded pants, before resting her eyes on the now empty, built dresser. Korra remembered, it was a Tuesday, she was going to place her extra backpack of clothes in the back corner of the closet like she usually did, but instead found the drawers. Asami said she made it so Korra could leave some clothes in the apartment and not have to bring a bag every time she was going to stay over. It was a flattering gift, but Korra soon realized Asami may have had other ideas, since she’d come over sometimes and find Asami wearing her clothes. She wanted to be upset, solely for the fact that Asami didn’t ask, but the clothes looked better on her. Korra couldn’t be mad when her girlfriend looked so good.

Ex-girlfriend.

Korra shuffled around some clothes, making sure not to disturb the clean closet too much before opening the drawers. Dust was already collecting inside.

Asami’s voice came from the doorway, “I already told you, it’s not in there.”

Korra shut her eyes, biting her cheek again as she slammed the drawers shut. She didn’t intend to be so aggressive. Her jaw tightened as she stood for a moment before walking over to the bed. She crouched down and looked underneath.

On the ground, Korra could see Asami’s feet come closer to the bed. “You don’t think I looked under there?”

It felt hostile, like Asami was insulting her for such an inane act. Korra stood up and sighed, “I just want to find my sweater.”

“It’s just a sweater.”

Korra snapped, “And it’s mine!” She scratched her cheek, taking a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

Mine, yours, belonging, it was all messed up in Korra’s head now. They’d shared so much of themselves with each other, sometimes she couldn’t tell where she stopped and Asami started. But, she liked that, it was comforting; Korra reveled in the fact that someone wanted to know her, wanted all of her, unconditionally and wholly. A boost to her ego, a medal for her pride, she couldn’t deny that such a thing as too much didn’t exist. She just never thought there’d be a too much with Asami.

Asami held herself on the other side of the bed, “You can maybe check the coat closet? I didn’t look in there.”

Walking past her, a chill ran up Korra’s spine. Muscle memory so deeply wanted to graze Asami’s skin, a simple touch that let the girl know Korra was there and would continue to be there. It felt wrong not to, but it didn’t matter what Korra felt because what was done was done.

Bundled in the back corner of the coat closet was Korra’s sweater. It’d probably fallen off a hanger and was pushed aside whenever the vacuum was taken out and put back in. It smelled like old wood but Korra could still pick up on Asami’s perfume. She’d have to wash this sweater when she got home.

“Oh, good,” Asami sat back down at the kitchen table. “So, you’re going now?”

The wall clock was counting down. Obnoxious strikes hit Korra’s ears and she wasn’t sure what was worse: bearing the sound or bearing the knowledge that when she did leave, she wouldn’t come back.

“Hey, this doesn’t mean I’m gonna fall off the face of Etheria,” Adora said as Catra helped her clean her desk. “I’ll still call and I’ll visit every now and then.”

Catra kept her mouth shut, biting her tongue. It was too much at that moment, to try and even put into words what she was feeling. Instead, she hastily scanned Adora’s file cabinet of folders and tossed whatever the woman wouldn’t need.

Adora was Catra’s first friend at Prime Co. The desk job was going to be temporary, answering phone calls and trying to sell merchandise to make money while she looked for something more permanent. But, her and Adora started on the same day, were in the same training session, even were in the same group for “Team Building Exercises.” When the scheduled lunch time came around, Adora sat down at Catra’s empty table with a smile.

“Do you like tuna?” she asked. She stopped, shaking her head, “Was that stereotypical? I’m sorry, I should’ve worded this better.”

Catra kept a close eye on her, not responding as Adora pulled out three sandwiches, four bags of chips, two large cookies, and four juice boxes.

“I saw you weren’t eating so I thought I might offer one of my sandwiches,” Adora started, holding two of the three up, “I have two roast beef and one tuna, but I should’ve worded this all better.”

She began muttering to herself, fiddling with the plastic wrapped sandwiches and Catra finally reacted. She laughed, taking the tuna out of her hand and opening it.

“You’re fine, dummy. I like tuna.” She bit into it, glancing up to see Adora’s pink cheeks trying to hide.

They’d been at the company together for almost two years and while Catra was still coasting along, sure she’d stay until she found a more suitable career, Adora was excelling like no other coworker. Their boss, Hordak, had been giving her a bit of extra treatment, at least Catra noticed. She was sure Adora would be chosen for the new promotion Hordak announced a few months ago and wasn’t surprised today when Hordak called out from his office for Adora to see him.

When the last bit of Adora’s desk was in the box issued by Hordak, the picture frame of the two girls from the holiday party on top, Catra sighed.

“How long until you have to leave?”

“About a week,” Adora answered, lugging the box towards the elevator. “I have to pack my apartment too and everything.”

“Right,” Catra looked at the floor, wrapping her tail around herself. She stayed a few feet from Adora, wishing the elevator door wouldn’t open. She hissed at the sound when it did.

Adora stepped in, calling out Catra’s name. “Help me move out?”

Catra rolled her eyes, “Of course, idiot.”

When Catra clocked out, she drove to Adora’s almost too quickly. She hadn’t realized how much she dreaded that office; without Adora, her deskmates were bland and boring, lunch was a drag, and the empty space next to her hurt her heart more than she wanted to admit. 

Catra called out over the next few days, opting to help Adora move rather than endure more nine hour shifts in her newfound hell. She was silent for almost all of the packing sessions, still too upset to see Adora go. (Deep down in her heart, Catra hoped Adora would say no to the promotion. She hoped Adora would want to stay with her and not leave and keep working together and play pranks on Kyle until they retired. She hoped she wouldn’t have to ask Adora this, she hoped Adora would just know.) 

Catra knew Adora was talking, but the sentences never stuck in her mind. She was too busy wrapping dinner plates in old newspaper and bubblewrap and trying her hardest to stop her shaking hands from dropping any.

When she placed the last one in the box (all of them in tact, a feat in itself) she heard Adora say, “Let’s get drinks.”

It’d be only one more day before Adora had to leave. Catra placed the last box in the moving truck and nodded. Her tail wrapped around her again and she felt her ears drop. Adora placed her hand on Catra’s shoulder and she shuddered, quickly pulling away. Another time she’d deal with all the thoughts in her head, all the words she was screaming in her throat, all the “Please don’t go.” “You don’t need a new job.” “I’ll just make Hordak give you a raise, that’ll be enough right?” “Who am I supposed to make fun of Kyle with? Lonnie? She’s all talk and no bite, she’s always eating lunch with him and Rogelio.” Another time she’d deal with all of those thoughts, that’s what Catra told herself.

At the bar, Catra and Adora found a booth in the back. It was closed off from the rest of the patrons, perhaps for the better because Catra didn’t want anyone else to see her cry. (She wasn’t banking on it happening but she’d been close to doing so the past few nights, maybe this night would be what broke her.)

“Oh, come on, Catra,” Adora kicked her leg under the table. “Lighten up, I told you this isn’t goodbye.”

She sulked in her seat, swishing the vodka soda in her cup.

“You know, I asked Hordak if I could bring you.”

Catra froze, “What?”

“I’m supposed to be some department head when I get to Dryl Inc. I asked if I’d need an assistant or something but Hordak wouldn’t budge.”

“Assistant, really?”

Adora raised an eyebrow, “Oh, so you’d rather I just go and not make an effort to try and bring you?”

Catra’s eyes widened, Adora’s tone sounded insulted. She shook her head, “Wait, that’s not what I--”

Adora laughed, kicking her leg again, “I was just joking, Catra.”

Catra’s ears fidgeted, her mind trying to understand why Adora tried to get Hordak to let her leave too. “Why’d you ask him?”

Adora gulped, taking a long sip from her beer, “Well, I just. You know, it’s always been you and me at the company and well. I don’t know, I just thought,” she paused, finishing her drink. “What, you’ve never thought about us?”

The emphasis on the word scared Catra, much deeper and closer to her core than the thought of Adora leaving at all. Of course she’d thought about them, the two of them as more than friends. All the movie nights in Adora’s apartment after a long day at work, all the fast food deliveries to the office when Catra would reluctantly stay overtime since Adora was. All the times Adora’s blue eyes sparkled in the dingy office lighting (seriously, how did her eyes do that?) and all the times Adora’s laughter perked her tail in delight. She thought about all the company parties they attended, about Adora dressed up in a long dress with her hair pulled back and her neck exposed and that stupid perfume that made Catra’s hands twitch because she just wanted to grab Adora’s waist and kiss her. Of course she thought about it all.

And even while she wanted to say all of it then, her throat closed up and Catra just stared at Adora.

“Oh.” Adora reached for her beer again and brought it to her lips, eyes widening at the clear bottom. She placed it down with a blush, looking down at the table. She whispered, “Well, I have, a lot. I’ve always been too scared to try anything, for example, right now, because clearly you haven’t and I’ve made this weird.”

Catra desperately wanted to correct her, wanted to reach across the table and yank her shirt to pull her into a kiss. But she was stuck in her spot, staring at Adora who still looked gorgeous even when she was sad.

“I just like having you around and you’re really soft and you’re always nice to me,” Adora continued. Her voice was barely audible but Catra made it her mission to hear every last word. “I’m just really gonna miss you.”

Catra heard the sentence, felt her heart jump out of her chest at the notion of Adora missing her at all. She internally slapped herself across the face and finally forced her body to move. She jolted up, slamming her knees on the underside of the table as she grabbed Adora by the collar and kissed her.

Their teeth crashed and Catra knew her knees would turn into a bluish, purple color but she didn’t care. Adora’s lips were soft and tender and that stupid perfume she wore made her quietly moan as she pulled away for air. Adora pulled her back in, placing a few more gentle kisses, more successful ones at that, and let out a shaky breath.

“What the hell was that, Catra?”

With her heart rate settling, Catra kept her eyes shut. She didn’t want to sound stupid, didn’t want Adora to know just yet she was melting like putty, so she forced her brain to regain consciousness.

There was yelling and insults thrown and fists pounded on tables. Catra watched from the door frame, unable to move. It wasn’t small, the way she felt, but rather like she was watching a disagreement between the gods unfold in front of her. It was no lie that Shadow Weaver did nothing for this foster family; everyone knew Adora had been doing most everything from grocery shopping to cooking to making sure Kyle’s childhood blanket always smelt like lavender so he could go to bed at night. Adora took care of everyone, for years, and she did it all under Shadow Weaver’s degenerate nose.

Adora was the oldest now. Only a few weeks ago did she turn 18. It wouldn’t be for a few more months that Kyle would be getting a corner store sheet cake. Maybe that was why Shadow Weaver finally poked her head into their lives. Adora had taken the car, as usual, and bought groceries with the debit card she opened, unfortunately with Shadow Weaver’s name attached. The bank had a rule that 60 days after becoming an adult could someone get a sponsor’s name removed from their card. Catra had read the fine print, much to Adora’s distaste. Catra was helping Adora bring in the bags of food for the next week and a half when Shadow Weaver waltzed into the kitchen. She scanned the bag, lamely picking up a bag of potato chips at the corner and throwing it onto the counter.

“What is this?” she questioned, crossing her arms and looking expectantly at Catra and Adora.

“Food,” Adora replied as she set down the final bag, “you know, so we have stuff to eat?”

Shadow Weaver eyed the several paper bags on the floor, “And how did you purchase this food?”

Adora stopped in her place, furrowing her eyebrows, “With my debit card?”

“This attitude surely has come from hanging around with Catra so much.”

Catra locked eyes with Shadow Weaver’s long stare and stuck her tongue out.

Shadow Weaver rolled her eyes, “Adora, you are aware that my name is that debit card as well, which means that I am supposed to approve any and all purchases you make. I was unaware of this little trip of yours to the store. And, that kind of behavior where you don’t tell me where you’re going is unacceptable.”

Adora shook her head in confusion, “Excuse me? Since when do you care about our behaviors, half the time you don’t even look at us!”

Adora had never spoken to Shadow Weaver like this. Catra was stunned and her breath got stuck in her throat. “Adora!” she whispered, “Adora, don’t!”

She didn’t hear her, (or maybe didn’t want to), “How do you think we’ve all been alive for so long?” Adora’s voice rose in volume, “It’s cause I make sure there’s food to eat and clothes for us to wear and you know damn well you’ve never questioned where any of it came from.”

From there, chaos slowly crawled its way out of hell and into the kitchen of Shadow Weaver’s home. Catra felt stuck in that door frame. She wondered if the neighbors would call with a noise complaint. The groceries hadn’t even been put away when Catra was able to take them to their room. She shut the door and sat down next to Adora on her bottom bunk.

Her eyes were grey.

Catra took Adora’s hand and laced their fingers. She shuffled closer to the girl and brought the back of Adora’s hand to her lips, “We’ll get out of here soon and we’ll take on the whole world. We won’t even remember who Shadow Weaver is.”

Adora huffed, squeezing Catra’s hand, “Yeah.”

She studied the orientation agenda, prepared her answers for all the “Get To Know You” questions, Adora even knew what she would order in the university cafeteria. So, how could she have forgotten to look at the school map?

After stepping foot on the campus center, Adora looked left and right, noting the millions of signs saying all the same things: “This way.” This way to what? How could there be so many arrows? Which signs was she supposed to follow? How was everyone else not as stressed as she was?

Adora checked the time, orientation check in would start soon. Coming early was out of habit, needing to maintain her schedule and follow her checklist bullet point for bullet point. Now, it was a blessing because the extra time would be used understanding where the hell she was going.

Her heart rate was increasing, if she didn’t move, Adora knew she would explode. She let her feet guide her, walking down the concrete path until it rounded a corner. Ahead of her were a group of girls. Their relaxed expressions and comfortable laughter let Adora know these girls were older than her. She looked at the time again, she wanted to be one of the first people on the check in line; she needed to know where to go.

Mustering up all the courage in her system, Adora walked up to the girls just as they finished laughing again. Each one of them turned their heads towards her, a silence fell over them.

“Um, hi, I’m Adora,” she began, losing focus as she eyed one of the girl’s biceps, “do any of you know where to go for orientation?”

They exchanged looks, a particularly mischievous smile grew on the girl in the center. She was much shorter than her friends. Adora’s breath caught in her throat, did all girls have smiles that pretty? She saw the girl’s tail waving behind her.

“Yeah, Huntara, she needs her Orientation ID number, right?”

“You’re absolutely right, Catra, that’s all she’ll need.”

Orientation ID number? Did Adora miss an email? How could Adora have forgotten so much? She didn’t know her Orientation ID number, she didn’t even know she had one.

“Oh, I, uh,” Adora felt her tongue dry up. Catra draped a piece of her hair behind her shoulder, how could something so simple be so beautiful? “I don’t, um, I don’t think I know my Orientation ID number? I must have missed something or It....”

Huntara and Catra bursted into another fit of laughter while their other friend rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry about them, they always mess with the freshmen on Orientation day.”

“Oh, you’re no fun, Scorpia,” Catra stepped forward, putting a hand on Adora’s wrist. She whispered, “I would’ve kept this up if that weren’t the cutest reaction from a freshman we’ve seen.”

Catra’s hand left her skin but her tail wrapped around her fingers for just a second before she stood again with her friends, “If you go through these doors, follow the hallway all the way down and take a right, you’ll see a table with a big Orientation sign, check in there.”

Adora stood there for a second, staring at this group of girls, at their smiles (warm, strong, alluring), at their eyes (friendly, powerful, mysterious), at their demeanors (welcoming, dashing, confident, self-assured, Catra, Catra, Catra). Suddenly, Adora realized her mouth was hanging open.

Catra laughed again, her head falling back. Adora didn’t even know she walked closer to them until she felt Catra’s touch again, blessing her shoulder, “Go on, dummy. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” Adora felt her squeeze her shoulder lightly, why did her arm feel like jelly now?

Had Adora completely lost her mind? Before she could even say goodbye, the outside campus turned into concrete walls covered by posters and sign up sheets and Adora desperately wanted to get one final look at Catra. She looked down at her feet, they were clumsily moving, one in front of the other, following the directions Catra gave her. 

Catra; The velvet sound of her voice echoed in Adora’s mind, the way Catra’s head fell back when she was laughing played over and over. The universe must’ve loved Catra, as it had sent a perfect gust of wind to blow through her cascading hair. The tingling sensation in her arm hadn’t gone away, but what even was this tingling sensation? 

“Your name?”

“Huh?” Adora looked down at the table in front of her, Adora looked at the woman sitting with a clipboard and glasses resting on her nose. “Oh, sorry, uh, I’m Adora,” the woman continued to stare at her and Adora’s felt her tongue dry up, “Grayskull. Adora Grayskul?”

The woman checked her in, gave her a name tag, and a university tote bag before sending her through the double doors on the left. Adora found an empty table and started looking through the tote bag. Some pens, a pair of university sunglasses, and the upcoming semester’s directory. Adora had to do a double take, wholeheartedly believing Catra was on the cover in a cheerleader’s uniform. Upon second glance, the girl looked nothing like Catra.

What was going on? Why couldn’t she think straight, why could Adora only think of Catra?

And why did Adora keep breaking her pencil lead? All during the orientation, Adora would be ready to write down whatever the speaker said but slowly found her mind wandering back to the little fang that hung outside Catra’s mouth when she wasn’t smiling or laughing or doing anything for the matter. She thought about her jelly arm, how even after Catra’s been gone, the lingering sense of her touch etched itself into her skin. How could one encounter, especially as short as theirs, short circuit Adora’s brain? 

The pit in her stomach was no longer from anxiety but rather, the pit in her stomach grew out of aching to be near Catra again. Just thinking of Catra’s tail lingering on her fingertips, of her soft hands on Adora’s skin, of the way her eyes captivated Adora beyond compare; it made the pit heavier and heavier and Adora couldn’t bear to carry the weight, so why couldn’t she stop thinking? She imagined getting to be the one whose hand touched Catra, watch her fingers gently flow through her hair and twirl a piece in hopeless spirals until it fell out of her hand. Could she hug Catra? Just a quick embrace? Could she bury her head in the crook of Catra’s neck and take a deep breath of her scent she wished she knew? (All three girls smelled wonderful, as much as Adora didn’t want to admit she had been taking deeper breaths the closer she was to them.) Could she hold Catra’s hand, let their fingers intertwine, have Catra show her around campus and bring them to the back corner of the library where no one could see them and push her up against the books and-- 

What was Adora doing? Half the orientation had gone by and all she had written down was the date and a few scattered lines from when her pencil point broke. This needed to stop, but how? Perhaps, seeing Catra again would help. Maybe it would stop her brain from grinding its gears and she could get her final taste and then get a grip. Even if just to see her for a moment, in passing, in a glance; her daydreams were too much for her to handle. 

Paranoia wasn’t the right word, was Adora having delusions? Some sort of foolish fantasy that made her think Catra was around every corner, behind every open book, sitting in every chair of the classrooms they visited on the campus tour? Her heart rushed everytime she thought she saw Catra, any time she thought she heard that angelic laugh, and everytime she learned it wasn’t that godforsaken girl, her heart twitched and panged and fingers desperately wanted to find the girl for just one touch; couldn’t they make it even?

She wasn’t even sure how she answered the small group questions, she couldn’t even remember the other students’ names. She wished she could, it felt incredibly rude not to, but Adora was far too occupied with how Catra would look next to her in pictures. Too much, Adora thought, too fast, let’s scratch that. Instead, she thought of Catra in front of a camera, that smize being the perfect picture to capture, how that one look could say the million words Adora needed to clear in her head. None of her thoughts formed sentences, everything was hazy, she was too entranced with Catra’s whole entire being to even try and sort out what was going on.

It had been a few hours since she ate breakfast, maybe all she needed was food. She was thankful for the lunch time, grabbing every boxed lunch that looked good to her and found a seat in the corner. It faced away from the general crowd, her mind needed to rest, it needed to refuel; eating the Italian sandwich, chicken nuggets, burger, slice of pizza, cookies, chips, salad, grapes, and four juice boxes would help, right? It would be enough food to last her the rest of the day, through the night, hopefully through the rest of her existence because if this didn’t stop her from thinking about how beautiful Catra was, nothing would.

“Hey, Adora.”

Mid bite on her burger, Adora stopped and looked up. She blinked and blinked and blinked until Catra’s eyebrows furrowed and her face frowned. Was it really her, was she not dreaming? 

“How do you....”

Catra’s head twitched in confusion, “You told me earlier? And,” she pointed to the nametag on her shirt and Adora thought she would pass out right there. “Okay, dummy, why don’t we put this down,” Catra said, taking Adora’s arms and helped place the burger back down on its tin foil and taking a seat next to her. “Do you always eat this much?”

“I,” Adora just finished the third juice box, how was her throat dry? “I’m just hungry.”

Catra snorted, crossing her arms, “Clearly.”

Adora stared at her, her memories hadn’t done justice. Did she even actually look at Catra the first time they met or did Catra just get more beautiful in the few hours they were apart? Adora couldn’t breathe, her face felt hot, her hands were clammy, hell, even in her tee shirt and leggings, Adora felt like she was in a sauna with no way out. Catra stayed with her arms crossed, surveying the cafeteria around her, effortlessly looking like she had walked out of a fashion magazine. Was she even real? No one else in the cafe joined them, and Catra and her friends looked like Greek goddesses, could she be dreaming? What if she was still in bed, curled up in a little ball, drooling on her pillow while her mind decided to be a big asshole and make her think her cause of death would be heart failure from meeting the prettiest girl on Etheria.

What a jerk her brain would be.

But, another student passed the table, saying hi to Catra before walking out the door. Catra only waved, bringing her eyes back to Adora and smiling, “You gonna keep staring? Maybe I should charge you if you’re gonna stare at me like that.”

“What? I,” Adora tried to break the eye contact but she was drawn in, far too deep to return to reality. 

Catra exuded confidence, like she didn’t give a single fuck about what anyone would think of her. In that moment, Adora decided this was why she was fawning over the girl. Adora had never been the confident type, she never walked into a room like she owned it. It was something she’d wanted since she was a little girl, to be looked at and think, “She knows what she’s doing.” It was why she planned for hours, days, weeks for this Orientation that would only last a couple more hours and still, she failed at following through with her hopes. Catra wouldn’t have, Adora thought, Catra couldn’t.

Catra laughed, leaning forward and pulling her phone from her back pocket. She cleared her throat, placing her hand out. Adora stared at it and almost gave Catra her own hand but was thankfully stopped when Catra passed her phone over. Adora found hers and put it in Catra’s hand, watched as she typed and snickered and took a picture of herself before giving it back. She looked at her own phone and gestured to use it, Adora shook her head and wiped her hands, putting in her contact info. 

She passed the phone across the table, Catra frowned and Adora thought she was about to die and that wasn’t what Catra had wanted.

“No picture?”

“Oh! I, well,” Adora tried to push a piece of hair behind her ear but there was no such piece to do so; her ponytail was perfectly kept and there were no loose strands. What was she doing? She looked like a complete fool in front of Etheria’s most beautiful person, what kind of first impression was that? Adora gulped, wishing she could start this day over and prepare herself to be an idiot. “I’m not the best with photos.”

Catra waved her off, pointing her phone towards Adora. She scooted some of the food further up the table and leaned back, smiling as she brought her phone back down. She showed Adora the picture, it was awful and embarrassing and Adora wished she could erase it but Catra’s smile was bigger than she’d seen it earlier and it was everything Adora had wanted to see for hours.

“Gosh, you’re such a dork,” Catra laughed, locking her phone. “Good for pictures, though.” She got up, pushed in her chair, leaned over and placed her hand on the side of Adora’s chair, “Text me, okay? I’ll give you the real tour of campus, I’ll even pay for lunch.”

As Catra turned around to leave, her tail lingered on Adora’s hands in her lap before she disappeared through the doors and out of the building. Adora stared at the doorway, suddenly understanding why honeydew and mint would be her new favorite scent.