Codependency

Part 11 // Need you to need me

The water was lukewarm. Adora "mysteriously" was aware that other kingdoms had the leisure of hot water, or access to hot springs, but it disgusted her. The princesses that took everything they wanted, squirreled away their resources, selfishly left the world to disorder while they soaked in steaming mineral waters. No, this tepid stream of water was more comforting. It was familiar to Adora, moreso than the glimpses of the life she recalled having with the rebellion.

I crave sweets. Said her traitor of a brain.
Come on... The rations are fine. No, the rations are good.

She pictured the cake that Catra had made from grey ration bars to congratulate her for...

Was that a dream?
Adora hadn't actually been a Force Captain for more than a day, according to conversations she'd pried from Catra. When the temperamental feline was in a good mood, of course.

It's still a nice thought. Catra has done too much for me not to be thankful.
Maybe she would just make the cake for Catra instead.

Satisfied that she was exceptionally clean, Adora flung a scratchy grey towel around her waist and squeezed water from her hair. She would have to keep it down while it dried. She reached for her clothes, when she found that the uniform was dirty.

Right... training. Adora cracked the door open and spoke through the gap.
"Catra, are you still here? I need a clean uniform."

There was a creak, presumably Catra standing up from the cot.

"You should have done that before you went in there. Are you stupid?" Catra scoffed, as Adora heard her clattering with furniture and opening drawers.

"Yeah." Adora agreed, smiling behind the wall.

A hand suddenly reached through the gap, grasping some limply hanging fabrics. Adora gratefully took the uniform and slipped it on while Catra's hand retreated. She took the rugged towel and wrapped it around her head before pushing the door open the rest of the way. Catra was climbing onto the cot again.

"Can I sit down now?" The question was sarcastic, but Adora was actually a bit unsure if Catra would let her.

Catra waved at her dismissively and picked up the tech-pad by her pillow. Adora sat on the end of the bed and listened to Catra type away while she ruffled her hair with the unpleasant towel. Eventually the clicking and tapping stopped, and Adora pulled the towel over her head and held it in her hands before looking at Catra. The girl was staring at her with a scowl, as though deep in thought, or perhaps she had a question she wouldn't ask.

"What?"
Adora finally prompted.

Catra blinked, startled out of her daze.
"...Take your old clothes to the washroom." She ordered.

Adora stood up to obey, before pausing in worry. Catra never let her leave.
"Are you coming with me, then?"

Catra shook her head.
"Just take them there and come straight back."

This is a test. Adora knew right away.
Catra was going to keep tabs on Adora to see if she stopped anywhere else or talked to someone... or escaped.

"Please come with me?"
Adora didn't want to be tempted. She had pushed down the need for company and freedom days ago. She was sure to mess up this time, like she always did.

Catra narrowed her eyes.
"You're not a little kid. Just do it." She said coldly.

Adora walked sulkily back to the shower to pick up her uniform. On her way out, Catra put up a hand to tell her to stop, before she tossed her uniform at Adora too. Adora hadn't even noticed that she'd changed.

"Take that too." Catra told her.

Adora nudged a button by the door with her elbow and watched the metal slab rise, opening a gap for her to go through. She stepped out into the hall and tried to orient herself.
The washroom was down the left corridor, wasn't it?

On the way, an unwanted memory of that glittery princess handing off her debris-covered cape to a Castle servant entered Adora's brain.
Incompetent. That's what Catra had said. Princesses can't do their own chores, yet they manage to hold their own kingdoms?

The hall was strangely empty. The cold metal floors were unpleasantly sticky, probably with oil or other chemicals. Adora wished she'd put on shoes or socks or something. Of course, her lonely-luck ran out as she walked into the washroom and found Kyle and a lanky apprentice cadet washing, folding and organizing uniforms to be returned to the other Horde soldiers later.

Adora stepped briskly over to the basket area labeled for Force Captains, and dropped both uniforms into the basket where she'd found Catra's name engraved. She could feel Kyle's eyes burning into her. She was terrified he would try to talk to her, but he actually seemed too shy to speak without his friends around. Or rather, probably, he had seen Catra dragging her away screaming the last time they had spoken... and that made him worry for her.

I've finally gotten Catra to a truce. I think she's afraid I'll become She-ra again. Adora told herself. There was no need for someone to pity her.
She was still grateful that she hadn't had to turn away from a conversation with him and possibly hurt his feelings.

Adora made it back to the room she shared with her former friend, enemy, rival. It was a weird feeling, to want to have a label on this. Relationships in the Horde were usually so uncomplicated. No one felt the need for labels because they were given identities from the moment they could form coherent thoughts.
Princess magic. They did this.

"Good." Catra said simply, not looking up from her tech-pad as Adora closed the door.

Good. Adora drank in the almost-praise as though she was parched.
It nearly made her forget that Catra had almost certainly been watching her every move from the bulky device in her claws.

Adora was beginning to realize something as she sat again at the foot of the cot. When she'd seen the outside of Catra's doorway from the hall, there hadn't been any bar to block it from the outside. The one Catra had installed herself was gone. Catra had been testing her the entire time. She had been waiting for Adora to escape so she could hunt her down and hurt her, kill her, make her suffer...

Adora let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

Or.

Adora scooted closer to Catra, sitting across from her until their knees almost touched. Catra looked up from her device after a long, frozen moment. Adora gestured for Catra to put it away. Surprisingly, she did. Catra set the tech-pad on her nightstand shelf and didn't take her stare from Adora.

"You know I won't leave you." It was more of a statement from Adora than a question or a prompt for an answer, but Catra replied anyway.

"You can't. I won't let you." Her heterochromatic eyes fixed intensely on Adora's.

"I know."
Adora leaned towards her.
Catra didn't move away.