TENTEN

[71lines]

●TENTEN
On Duty
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Comments

[heterochrocatic]

Still counts as helping.

[ Catra sighs, lets out a low breath. She pushes herself up a little, resting now on her elbows. An ear quirks and Catra's head follows as she tilts it to one side, still watching Tenten and the blush creeping across her features. The silence after her words stretches out a little longer and Catra feels a touch tongue-tied. This feels harder than it should be. ]

You remind me a lot of myself, Ten. And you remind me a lot of Adora. You're both kind. And both stubborn idiots sometimes.

[71lines]

Of course I remind you of yourself and Adora. I'm cute.

[She laughs and turns towards Catra, sticking her tongue out teasingly. After a moment, the expression fades, going a little more neutral, but also more openly curious. This feels a bit heavier than something she ought to be joking about.]

I mean. Yeah, I guess I can be stubborn sometimes, but...

[heterochrocatic]

That's true, too.

[ Catra giggles at the rebuff about Tenten's stubbornness. She sits up more fully, leans her shoulder into Tenten's with an affectionate sort of pressure. ]

You look really serious.

[ She murmurs that, her head tilting over to nudge against Tenten's shoulder. It's affectionate and warm as gestures go and it's accompanied by that soft sound of Catra's purr. ]

[71lines]

I thought you were trying to be serious.

[She almost sounds sulky. Tenten recognizes when she's being teased, but it doesn't stop her from returning the lean with a little shoulder press of her own, then snaking her arm around Catra's furry shoulders.]

Have I mentioned it's cute when you purr?

[Yes, she's blushing again, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to lay down an Important Truth like that.]

[heterochrocatic]

I'm sure you have before, at some point.

[ Catra murmurs that with her smile refusing to budge. There's a long, drawn out silence of a few moments following that. Tenten's arm is 'round her shoulders and despite the heat it's comfortable leaning up against her. ]

I had a chat with Adora. S'really nice having her back and... just getting everything. I feel like we're connected on a level that we weren't before. Maybe we actually are. We did almost die together and save the world and stuff.

[71lines]

[It's almost inevitable that their talk turns back to Adora. It usually does, honestly. But that's because Adora's a safe topic, well away from the complex tangle that're their feelings for one another.]

So she's gotten over the whole selflessness thing? That's good to hear. I was honestly worried about how that'd end up.

[heterochrocatic]

Yeah. Yeah, she has. It was nice to actually hear her say something and feel like she was saying it because she wanted to, not because it was what she thought would make others happy.

[ Catra turns her head slightly so she can look at Tenten a bit more fully. Her expression is thoughtful, a little distant perhaps. ]

We had a good talk.

[71lines]

You mind if I ask about what?

[Frankly, Tenten's not sure what else to say other than endless repititions of 'good, good' and that'd get old real fast, real quick. Besides, Catra's mentioned a good talk more than once now and, in Tenten's book, that generally means someone's trying to steer the conversation towards said talk.]

[heterochrocatic]

Mmm. Us. You. The Rig.

[ All technically true. Catra's smile gets a little wider, a touch more mischievous. She leans in a little further and presses a kiss against Tenten's cheek, lets warm lips linger against flushed skin. It speaks for itself, doesn't it? ]

You know. The important stuff.

[71lines]

[Oh.

Oh Jeez.

There's nothing faint left about that flush now, Tenten's gone full crimson and her back stiffens a little. It's only the fact that she's actively holding on to Catra that keeps her from pulling away.]

Uh.

[Intelligent. She clears her throat, tries again.]

You, um. Talked about me?

[heterochrocatic]

Yeah.

[ Catra's reaction to Tenten's sudden freeze is one of her squeaky little laughs. ]

And... I like you. And Adora likes you.

[71lines]

I mean, I like the two of you, too. I just didn't think we were on, uh. [She coughs, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. Probably not possible at this point.] Cheek kissing levels of like.

[heterochrocatic]

Do you want to be? I got that impression a while back.

[ The question is put out there bluntly and without further preamble. ]

[71lines]

Yes.

[As bluntly as the question's asked, it's answered. Tenten's tone is even enough, even if her face is still pinker than it ought to be.]

I just thought that with the two of you now matched up and the universe thing, there'd be... more of a struggle. Maybe too much of one.

[heterochrocatic]

I mean, don't get me wrong. I love Adora. A lot. If there's something out there you can call a soulmate, she's mine. Where she goes, I goes.

[ A smile. She reaches out and gently takes Tenten's hand in her own. She's not sure what exactly she wants to say or how to say it, but she's going to do her best. ]

I like you, too, though. And you like me. And... we're kind of thrown together like this on the Rig, so. There's room for other people in my heart next to Adora, too. It's not the same as the love I have for her, but I don't think anything else in my life is ever going to be the same as that. She trusts me. I trust her. We both trust you. So...

[ Catra takes a breath and tilts her head back to look at the ceiling. ]

I guess I feel like if I can make you happy and share some of myself with you while we're together, that's okay.

[71lines]

[Tenten's quiet through this, flush fading slightly. She doesn't let go, and she doesn't turn away, but she also takes a few seconds to squeeze Catra's hand, and she's silent for a while after.

Well, she thinks, you did say you were happy with being number two in love. But...

But that was a little different. Covering her emotions. Now that it was reality, and if she agreed to this it would be hard fact, could she still-]

I-I need to hear from Adora that this would be fine. It's not that I don't trust you, but- [Adora had a hard time hiding her emotions. To Tenten, she was often an open book.

And this wouldn't feel quite real until she read that book.

She turns to Catra, frowning in concern.]

You understand, right?

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra stays quiet as she waits for Tenten to do her thinking. She sits there, doing her best to be a warm, reassuring presence. How does Adora do it? Think like Adora. I have to save the world, I have big muscles, rahrahah. Eh, that's not helping. When Tenten answers, Catra nods. ]

I understand. S'okay.

[ She starts to fish in the pocket of her jumpsuit for her communicator. ]

Want me to call her?

[71lines]

[Tenten nods.]

Please.

[She doesn't trust herself not to fumble at this point. It's almost frustrating. Here she is, being handed everything she wants and she can't trust it, no matter how much she'd like to. Then again, with the number of shapeshifting monsters around so far, it probably makes a lot more sense to doubt.]

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra nods in understanding and thumbs the com to ring Adora, then sits back and waits for her to answer. ]

Hey, Adora?

[princesspower]

Hey, Catra! What's up?

[ Oh hi. ]

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra purrrrrs. ]

Not a lot. Tenten wanted to talk to you.

[ The communicator is offered out towards Tenten and Catra smiles. ]

[71lines]

[Tenten, and not the mod account, wiggles her fingers and flushes, suddenly very aware that Catra's all over her while she's got an arm around her.]

Uh.

[There's almost a reflexive need to go 'It's not what it looks like', but it pretty damn well is.]

...Hi. Is it, I mean. Are you okay with, um. Me dating Catra and all?

[She winces a little, wishing she'd thought to phrase that, but she's not doing as well as she'd imagined now that the spotlight's on her.]

We're not! Yet. But. You know, if it's okay with you and all?

[princesspower]

Oh, hey Tenten-!

[ There's a pause and some silence as Adora listens from the other end. There's a little 'hmm' sound. Poor Tenten sounds nervous. And she gets it. Or thinks she does. ]

I mean - yeah. If you and Catra are on board. It's-

[ Huh. How to put this? ]

You both matter a lot to me. I want you both to be happy.

[71lines]

[Okay, there's no immediate hesitation. Which is good. Nothing like the last time, when Tenten was practically bullying Adora for a reaction. (She really does need to apologize for that sometime soon. She also needs to find out if the chainmail fit.)

It's still the selfless Adora response, but she glances at Catra and then nods, mostly to herself. If Catra's not bothered, things have changed.]

Ah... Thanks. I mean. Thank you and all. So, um.

[She shakes her head and lets out a shaky breath, releasing some tension at least.]

Sorry if I'm being dumb about this. My culture, where I'm from anyway, we're pretty much monogamous unless someone's being a real jerk. I'm just not sure where to go from here.

What does this make us? Girlfriends-by-proxy? Just... really good friends?

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra shifts herself a little so she can settle into frame next to Tenten, smiles at Adora with all the clear, shining love that she feels in her heart. ]

I mean... Some people on Etheria are monogamous, too. Other people are polyamorous--they love more than person. It's not something I expected to happen with me but I'm not afraid of trying it.

[ Her head tilts against Tenten's shoulder. ]

It's like Adora said. You both matter to me a lot. I want you to be happy. So if it fits you best to call us girlfriends, then I'm okay with that. Or we can just be, intimate friends, if that makes it work better for you. Or we can just not give it a label, see what happens.