Chapter Text
The garden shimmered in the golden afternoon light, the kind that made everything look like a dream. Glimmer had insisted on finally- finally , getting married in the late spring, when the lavender bloomed and the orchard was soft with cherry blossom petals underfoot. It had taken her years to come to terms with the idea of having a wedding without her parents. Years of hesitation, grief tucked under every well-meaning suggestion from Bow. But today, she stood with her hand in his, finally ready.
Catra stood just besides the catering tent, adjusting the hem of her white apron. The scent of roasted vegetables and honey-glazed tarts floated in the air. Behind her, her coworker Entrapta gave programming instructions to one of the serving bots, its arms carefully balancing champagne flutes. Another bot zoomed by with a tray of hors d'oeuvres, nearly colliding with a group of giggling children.
Catra chuckled under her breath and glanced across the lawn, where Finn was sprinting in a game of tag with Scorpia’s twins. The three of them had formed an unstoppable trio of chaos, their age gap not really making a difference. Scorpia was dressed in a sparking red dress, holding a mic and waving enthusiastically from across the stage as she finished up her performance.
"They’re gonna destroy the buffet," Catra muttered.
"But at least they’ll do it with enthusiasm," Scorpia replied brightly as she jogged over. Her mic crackled before she clicked it off. "And hey, not bad for our first event working together, huh?"
Catra shrugged. "No one’s gotten food poisoning yet. That’s a win."
Scorpia winked. "And the cake’s still standing. So far."
Catra had nearly broken down when Glimmer first asked her to cater the wedding. Not out of pressure or nerves, though those came later, but because of the sheer weight of what it meant. It wasn’t about some grand career opportunity or a splashy debut in the event circuit. It was something deeper. Glimmer hadn’t just liked her food, she believed in it. In her .
She remembered the moment clearly: Glimmer had brought over tea and a notebook full of color schemes and floral palettes, plopped herself onto Catra and Adora’s couch, and said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You’ll cater it, right? I mean… who else could I trust?”
Catra had stared at her, silent, unsure if she’d heard right. Then the words hit, square in the chest. Glimmer trusted her. Enough to let her feed the most important people in her life, on the most important day of her life. The tears had prickled in her eyes before she could even answer. She had managed a strangled " yeah ," before pretending something had gotten in her eye and excusing herself to the kitchen.
It wasn’t just about food. It was about being seen. It was about someone looking at the version of her who had clawed her way out of survival mode and saying, ‘ You built something good. And I want it to be part of my joy.’
That kind of validation didn’t come around often. And when it did, it was worth everything.
- - - - - -
The ceremony had been nothing short of perfect, like something out of a dream Glimmer had once been too afraid to want without her mother or father there, walking her down the aisle. The garden was drenched in late spring sunlight, petals drifting lazily in the breeze as if nature itself had decided to bless the moment. Bow had started crying the second his eyes laid on Glimmer walking down the aisle, her dress a magical vision of soft white satin with pink and lavender accents that shimmered with every step. She looked absolutely ethereal.
And Glimmer, despite her composure, had faltered too. Her breath caught and her eyes shimmered as Bow choked through his vows, voice cracking as he gripped her hands a little too tightly, like he couldn’t believe this was real.
Catra, standing near the front in her own pastel suit, had to subtly bite the inside of her cheek to keep from tearing up. She wasn’t the sentimental type- at least that’s what she had always told people, but seeing the two of them like that, so raw and honest and so clearly in love, it had done something to her. Especially with Adora standing just behind her, radiant in a blush-pink gown that was elegant and effortless, her golden hair braided and pinned with wildflowers. Maid of honour had never looked so fitting on someone.
Finn had nearly stolen the show as ring bearer, marching down the aisle with determination in their eyes and a cheeky wobble in their step. The real chaos had come right after though, when Scorpia and Perfuma’s twin daughters toddled down the aisle as flower girls, more interested in throwing handfuls of petals at each other than scattering them gracefully. But no one had minded. Their laughter had only added warmth to the already glowing day.
It wasn’t just a wedding, it was a celebration and a reminder that maybe Catra would actually have this. As the couple said ‘I do’ beneath the arch of blooming roses and glowing lanterns, Catra glanced at Adora, whose eyes were already glassy and fixated on her, probably picturing the same thing for them.
Their childhood had practically taught them this was out of reach for them, that they would never even be capable of being around others who were happy, much less themselves. But as Catra looked to the couple, then to her partner and then to the crowd, which was filled to the brim with people she had come to love and be happy with, she knew for sure that Weaver could never have been more wrong.
Yeah. It was perfect.
- - - - - -
After the reception wound down and twilight settled over the garden, the after-party lit up like a second heartbeat. Fairy lights strung between trees cast a soft golden glow, and laughter echoed beneath the canopy of stars. Sea Hawk and Mermista had taken it upon themselves to lead a round of fireball shots, with Sea Hawk dramatically narrating every sip as if it were a battle cry. Mermista, unbothered, simply downed hers and rolled her eyes.
Adora, meanwhile, sat near the edge of the crowd, her plate half-finished in her lap. She looked serene, but there was a flicker of nerves beneath the surface as she gently tapped her glass with the side of her knife. The delicate clink rang out and, like instinct, the crowd quieted.
She stood, pushing a lock of golden hair behind her ear, and looked around at her gathered family. Her gaze lingered on Glimmer and Bow, seated hand-in-hand beneath a canopy of soft pink roses.
“I just wanted to say how proud and grateful I am for you two,” Adora began, her voice steady but brimming with emotion. She smiled wide, her cheeks already pink. “You’ve built something so real and so beautiful. You’ve faced more than your fair share of challenges, and still, here you are. Stronger. Closer. And still very much yourselves.”
Bow let out a wet sniff, and Sea Hawk audibly sobbed into his napkin. Adora laughed softly, eyes still bright.
“Angella would be so fucking proud of you, Glimmer,” she said, voice hitching just a little. “I think about her all the time, and especially today. You’ve grown so much since that fierce, stubborn thirteen-year-old I met the day I was adopted into your family. The kid who cried and asked her mom if I was replacing her. The kid who put Nair in my shampoo to get rid of me.”
The crowd broke into laughter. Glimmer buried her face in her hands, half-laughing, half-crying. “I was a kid and jealous!” she squeaked.
Adora grinned. “I knew that shampoo wasn’t supposed to smell like rotten eggs.”
More laughter echoed, and the tension eased into warmth.
“Glimmer and Bow,” Adora continued, her tone softening, “You’ve both been my rock in more ways than I can count. You gave me a family the first time I truly needed one, when I didn’t know how to belong anywhere. You gave me one again when we moved and started over. And again, when Glimmer stalked a hot girl that was-” Adora raised her fingers to do air quotes, “-‘totally my type: grumpy and mean looking with cute ears’ not realising she was my ex-girlfriend with a new child.”
Finn giggled, raising their juice glass in salute, and the crowd laughed.
“You literally helped me build the life I have now,” Adora said, her voice now thick with emotion. “You are the reason I have a family of my own. I can’t ever thank you enough. I just love you. Both of you. So much. ”
The crowd erupted into applause, cheers, and a few more sniffles. Glimmer stood and crossed the space to wrap Adora in a tight hug, while Bow tried, and failed, not to cry all over his tie.
It wasn’t just a toast, it was a full-circle moment. A thank you. A love letter to friendship, found family, and the messy, magical way people grow together.
And for Catra, watching from the corner with her arms crossed and eyes just a little wet, it reminded her all over again why she had stayed, and why she always would.
- - - - - -
“Come on, Adora! After that speech, you have to do a shot with me!” Glimmer slurred out, half-laughing, half-pleading as she poured vodka into a tiny crystal glass with the determination of a woman who had already done four.
Adora, seated now at one of the side tables, shook her head with exaggerated weariness. “Not tonight, Glim, I told you! I ate way too many hors d’oeuvres,” she said, pressing a hand to her stomach as if to drive the point home. “I think I inhaled a third of Catra’s goat cheese tarts.”
Glimmer groaned in mock frustration and pointed the filled glass toward her like a challenge. “You made me and my husband cry during your wedding speech and you’re telling me you won’t toast to love?”
Before Adora could answer again, a dry voice cut in. “She said no, Sparkles.”
Catra appeared at her side with a smirk, plucking the vodka shot clean out of Glimmer’s hand. With a swift, practiced motion, she tipped it down her throat and slammed the empty glass gently onto the table. Her eyes met Adora’s, teasing but warm. “No peer pressure at the wedding.”
Adora tried to stifle her smile, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. Their eyes lingered on one another longer than either of them meant to, just enough for Glimmer to roll hers dramatically.
“Ugh, fine. No fun,” Glimmer huffed with affection, then spun around and bounded off toward the bonfire where Mermista and Rogelio were locked in some kind of ridiculous shot contest. Perfuma had already started guiding someone through a guided breathing exercise nearby. Classic.
Catra leaned in, elbows resting against the table, her voice lower now as the music swelled in the distance. “You sure you don’t want to tell anyone yet?” she murmured, placing her palm on the small of Adora’s back.
Adora’s gaze dropped to her lap, her hand subconsciously brushing over the fabric of her dress at her belly. “Not yet. Just…not tonight. Let’s let them have this.”
Catra’s smirk softened, tugging into something more tender. “Fair. But you know they’ll figure it out. You’ve turned down wine, champagne and peach cider tonight. You never say no to peach cider.”
Before Adora could respond, a voice piped in from nearby.
“You two ain’t slick,” Lonnie sang, leaning against a decorative archway wrapped in fairy lights, arms crossed and eyes sharp with amusement.
Catra didn’t even flinch. Adora, however, visibly tensed, her face turning a shade of red that nearly matched the rose petals scattered across the lawn.
“Keep your mouth shut,” Catra said, without missing a beat, “or I’ll tell Perfuma what you and your little boyfriends did on her bed last summer.”
Lonnie barked a laugh, actually clapping her hands. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me,” Catra said, popping a canapé into her mouth with slow satisfaction.
Lonnie shook her head, muttering “You’re evil,” as she backed off, disappearing toward the dance floor, though not without winking at Adora on her way.
Adora groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Why are you like this?”
“Protecting your honour,” Catra said lightly, nudging her shoulder. “And our little secret. For now.”
There was a moment of quiet between them then, as they watched Glimmer spin beneath the fairy lights with Bow, her gown catching the glow like a sunburst. Perfuma had joined them, flowers blooming from her braids as if conjured by joy alone. Sea Hawk was at the edge of the crowd, holding Finn on his shoulders, both of them laughing at whatever joke Scorpia had just made.
And amid the chaos and celebration, Adora leaned slightly against Catra’s shoulder and whispered, “I love you. So much.”
Catra turned her head just a fraction to nuzzle against her, voice almost lost in the music and wind. “Idiot. I love you too.”
The stars above them flickered into existence one by one, as if the universe itself was giving a quiet nod to the new life on the horizon.
- - - - - - - - -
"Three... two... one!"
The bouquet soared into the air and landed squarely in Catra’s arms.
She stared down at it, unamused. "Seriously?"
Adora laughed beside her. "It’s fate."
"I don’t even believe in this crap," Catra muttered, bouquet still in hand.
Adora rolled her eyes and laced their fingers together. "Sure you don’t."
The stars above shone a little brighter that night, the laughter a little louder, the food a little sweeter. And in the quiet between dances and speeches and toasts, Catra looked at the bouquet in her hand and thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad . Maybe someday she’d wear white too. But only if she got to walk down the aisle toward Adora.