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Catra stared at her reflection in the tall mirror in her's and Adora's bedroom, looking up and down at her outfit, admiring how she looked. It was much different from other formal attires she'd previously worn, but this outfit was meant to be for a special occasion.
Tonight, there was to be a royal ball held in Brightmoon to celebrate the kingdom's reconstruction after Horde Prime's invasion, as well as the reconstruction of Salineas, something Catra had taken a personal interest in considering her actions during the battles there at the tail end of the war.
Her outfit was a very formal looking red attire, with a high collared shirt with a red cape with golden trim, gold bracers around her arms reminiscent of She-Ra's armour and a red crown that resembled a mix of her old headpiece and She-Ra's tiara. Bow had let her know of a good tailor who gladly made the outfit for her.
As she posed with the cape, Catra had to smirk at how extra she looked. She looked like the most dashing prince in all of Etheria and she knew that a lot of people were going to be jealous. The other princesses wished they looked as good as her.
And yet, what Catra was looking forward to most of all was spending another wonderful evening with Adora. Sure, they'd dressed up fancy for dates before, but this was the first royal ball they'd ever attended and well... Catra wanted to look her best.
Just as she was adjusting her cape, she heard a voice call in from the bathroom.
"Woah, hey there handsome!" Adora's voice chirped. "Don't you look snazzy!"
"Thanks," Catra said smugly, turning around. "And you look..." Catra's eyes widened, seeing Adora as... more or less her usual self, with her hair out of its ponytail as she'd just been brushing it. "Exactly the same?"
"Is there something wrong?" Adora wondered.
"Something wrong? Adora, the ball starts in like an hour and you aren't even ready!" Catra growled, facepalming.
Honestly, Catra knew she should have seen this sort of thing coming. She'd heard the stories from Glimmer of how much of a nightmare it was for Adora to get ready for Princess Prom. But she didn't think it would have been this bad.
"I'll be ready!" Adora insisted.
"Well then, where's your outfit?" Catra asked.
"I... I don't really have one," Adora admitted, blushing a little. "I was actually just gonna go in my She-Ra form. I mean, I look best in it and I do have much better hair." She suddenly transformed in a dazzling flash of light, standing in the room with a soft golden aura surrounding her.
Catra had to blush at the sight of Adora. She never got tired of seeing how majestic Adora looked in her She-Ra form, but she still knew that Adora's real beauty wasn't her transformation.
Nervously, Adora pulled at her long flowing ponytail, playing with it in her fingers. "See, this is perfect!"
"Are you serious?" Catra's eyebrow twitched.
"Look, I'm the hero of Etheria, I'm probably more recognisable as She-Ra because y'know... saved the planet and all."
"I mean, you are hot in that form... but I already know someone who looks just as pretty as She-Ra."
"Wait, what, who?!" Adora said sternly. "Who is prettier than me? I'm literally a goddess!"
"Oh my god..." Catra walked right up to Adora, pressing her finger into her chest. "It's you, dummy! You, regular Adora, not She-Ra Adora."
Feeling an intense blush rising, Adora looked away, her face growing redder. Even after all this time after the war... Catra always knew what to say to make her become a flustered mess. But this time she felt more than flustered. She honestly felt... in disbelief. She couldn't really understand why Catra would think that she was prettier than She-Ra. She-Ra's the one with the long and flowing hair, more muscles, a shining aura... everything Adora lacked.
"Come on don't be silly. My She-Ra form is prettier, everyone knows that! So... best to go as her!" Adora said cheerfully, carefully masking her insecurities and that lack of self-worth that still plagued her mind.
"Adora," Catra said sternly. That simple word cut through everything and then suddenly Adora felt exposed. Like she was actually being seen. She changed back to herself and clutched her arm as though it was wounded.
"I..."
"Adora. It may just be my own bias talking here but I think you are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay prettier than the big buff muscle goddess you can turn into. Yeah, she's hot but... she's not the woman I fell in love with all those years ago. You are. Dummy."
Adora turned to face her lover and well... she was wearing that smirk. The smirk that always makes her heart beat a little faster. The one that she always blushes at when she sees it on Catra's face. The one that just says "I know you more than you think dummy."
"I... I'm envious of her, me, She-Ra I mean... I know it's a form I turn into but I just look like everything I ever wanted to be. Stronger. Pretty. Radiant... and when I'm transformed I... I want to say that I feel more like myself but I feel more like it's the version of myself that everyone wants to see. They want She-Ra so... I feel like I have to."
Catra's expression softened and she came closer to Adora. She waited a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. Adora gasped in surprise but quickly melted into Catra's arms. Catra wrapped her arms around her as tight as she could, pulling the blonde girl into the warmest embrace she could possibly give.
"I love you for you. Not for what giant sword lady you can bring out. But... just you. You don't have to be her. You know that."
Adora could feel tears welling up in her eyes before she buried her face into the crook of Catra's neck. Catra held her just a little tighter as she felt Adora shiver.
"Hey hey... It's okay... It's okay..."
"I just... I'm always scared that people like me more for being She-Ra and not being well... me. It doesn't usually bother me but I... oh gosh Catra I rarely get told that..."
"Which should be a crime. Because you're waaaaaaaaaay hotter than she is. Wanna know how I know that?"
"H...how?"
Catra pulled back so she could look into Adora's eyes before gently pressing her forehead against Adora's. Two orbs of blue and gold gazed into the steel coloured spheres of Adora's eyes, gazing into a whole universe all of their own.
"Because I get to look at you in the eyes like this dummy. I don't have to look up to see those gorgeous eyes I adore so much."
Adora gasped and her cheeks began to turn red. She felt like she had just fallen in love with Catra all over again.
Tenderly, Catra caressed Adora's cheek and pulled her into a soft, rich kiss, one she savoured like a fine dessert, holding Adora close. She could feel Adora relax her tension into the kiss, simply melting into her arms and whimpering softly, Catra threading her fingers through her lover's hair.
As she pulled away, Catra sighed. "Look, if you still wanna go to this ball as She-Ra... I won't stop you. If it makes you happy being her, I won't stand in the way of that. But don't forget for a second you aren't beautiful as you are. You're the most beautiful woman on the entire planet and I didn't spend most of my life pining for you just so you could doubt that for a second."
"Oh... Oh, Catra..." Adora cried more, clinging onto her. "God... You are being such a fucking sap right now, you know that?"
"It's one of the countless reasons why you love me?" Catra replied with a grin. "So... what'll it be, She-Ra or regular Adora?"
Thinking for a moment, Adora soon had her answer. "I think... I think you're right. I should go as just regular old me," Adora accepted. "I suppose I could find my prom dress."
"What? You always wear that!"
"Well, I don't have anything else!" Adora admitted. "And the ball does start in an hour."
"I'm... I'm sure we can make something work," Catra said.
A lightbulb then went off in Adora's head. "Oh! I think there's a way I make the best of both worlds here."
"What do you mean?" Catra asked, slightly confused.
Adora smirked. "Even if I'm going as regular old me... I think I know a way She-Ra can help out."
And so, sometime later, Catra was escorting Adora down to the ballroom arm in arm, grinning delightedly at the woman she loved. Adora was now wearing an absolutely gorgeous radiant white and gold ballgown with long gloves and a tiara in her hair. She had golden armoured shoulder pads on her shoulders reminiscent of the ones on her She-Ra forms armour and a long sparkling cape trailed behind her in the same colour as the blade of her sword.
"You know, I should count myself lucky," Catra teased. "I'm taking both Adora AND She-Ra as my dates tonight."
Adora giggled. "And I couldn't have asked for a more dashing prince." She looked at her dress. "Gonna be honest, I didn't think I could turn my sword into a dress."
"It looks perfect on you," Catra complimented. "Then again, you're always perfect to me."
"Oh please... don't make me cry again," Adora admitted, blushing. "I'd rather not ruin my makeup."
Lovingly, Catra gazed at Adora. She honestly felt a little flustered given how perfect the outfit looked on Adora. Quickly regaining herself, she pressed a soft kiss to Adora's cheek. When she did she could feel the tension in Adora as she saw her lover shift around nervously.
"Hey. Don't worry. They're going to love you."
"I hope."
Catra turned Adora's head to look her in the eyes, her fuzz covered palm resting against her cheek. "They will. Trust me. I'm... honestly feeling a little flustered just looking at you."
Adora's cheeks turned a bright red "Wait... what?"
"Yeah! And if I'm flustered just looking at you... I know that they're going to adore you."
"I... okay... okay okay... okay."
Catra gave Adora's hand a reassuring squeeze before they entered the ballroom. As the doors opened, they saw that the room was packed. Some heads turned to see them and most of them were stunned at Adora. A few of the girls blushed before quickly turning back to their own conversations. Glimmer ran up with an annoyed look before stopping dead in her tracks to look at Adora.
"Where have you... be...en... holy crap Adora you look... my goodness you look beautiful!"
"H-Hi Glimmer!" Adora replied, nervously. "S-Sorry we're late... or is it fashionably late?"
"I mean... I should be angry at you two for being late but... holy shit, Adora, you look amazing!"
"You... think so? I-I wanted to go as She-Ra so people would like me more and-"
"Babe," Catra interrupted. "I think you've just proved to everyone that you look ten times better than that goddess will ever look!" She nudged her arm playfully. "Told you that you had nothing to worry about, you dummy."
"Yeah... I guess you did," Adora shyly admitted, before Catra gave her a peck on the cheek.
Bow finally caught up to Glimmer and was absolutely stunned at Adora's looks. His eyes widened in utter surprise. "Oh. My. God Adora you look AMAZING!"
"I second that!" Scorpia added, having seen Adora arrive.
"And I third it!" Cheered Perfuma, who was clinging onto Scorpia's arm.
Adora started to feel silly for being so worried. Of course, her friends would love how she looked. They loved her. They loved her for her. As Adora melted in affection, she yelped as Catra kissed her deeply before hugging her, before Glimmer then joined her in the embrace, then Bow.
Sighing, Adora relaxed in the warmth and love of her friends
"See?" Catra teased again.
"Yeah... I know."
"We love you Adora. For you." Glimmer chimed in.
Adora felt warm. Warm and loved and at peace. All she ever wanted was to be loved. And she felt more loved than ever before.