The castle was dark and quiet, the occasional whisper as the wind blew past an open window. However, it wasn't empty, and Catra tiptoed, eyes wide open and fluffy ears perked up, listening, looking out for the slightest sound that someone had noticed them, followed them.

"Admit it, kitten. You have no idea where we are."

"Shut up! The main corridor is guarded, and this is the only detour that leads to Micah's room."

She could almost feel their judging look bore itself into her back. She wasn't sure whether they could tell she was lying, but as long as they kept quiet about it, she was happy. And in fact, she also had a pretty good idea of where they were. To the end of that corridor, take the right-

Catra jumped back, falling onto Double Trouble who managed to hold her up despite their wounds. Thankfully, they also did so silently. 'Guard,' she whispered as she picked herself up and snuck closer to the edge again. The guard, their back still facing them, was looking around, having heard a ruckus. Cursing wordlessly, she turned back around and hushed her companion in a convenient alcove, on the side of the corridor yet out of sight. For once, she was grateful at how inconvenient Brightmoon Castle was built.

The lizard let themselves be pushed around, knowing better than to argue in such a scenario. Yet here they were, in an alcove barely comfortable enough for one, pressed against their old friend. The fur on Catra's neck was starting to stand on end. Her instincts still screamed at her that she couldn't trust them, shouldn't, she should yell for the guard and get them away from her, and the physical intimacy didn't help her calm down one bit. So long as they didn't do anything inappropriate . . .

She felt a cold, scaled tail crawl up along her leg, under her loose pants. "My, I remember last time you pressed me into an alcove . . ."

"Double Trouble, this is NOT the time for your games!" She remembered as well, way too well. And unlike them, she paid attention this time, and noticed the steps getting closer. "Now keep quiet."

"You too, kitten," they whispered in her ear, their hands finding their way around her waist, gently tickling her. Their smell was intoxicating. She was used to seeing them, in all their fancy personas, and even their perfect voice was not enough to outdo her better judgement, but the smell overwhelmed her like nothing else could, reminded her of how things were before they had betrayed her, before she started mistrusting people, when they were still 'friends' . . .

The steps got louder. The guard must be in their corridor now, and every sound could alert them. Catra knew the traitor didn't need sound to do their job.

"I will scream, Double Trouble!" she hissed in their ear, her heart thumping in her ears, face hot. And . . . other places, hot too.

"Hmmm. You are too needy for that." Their hand crawled up along her spine, digging into her hair and gently pressing her face against their shoulder, silencing any further complains as their fingers curled and pulled at her hair, sending another shiver through her. Her breathing was getting labored again, and she pressed herself into the scaly shoulder, trying to muffle it.

". . . darn rats." The guard yawned and spun on their heels, heading back towards the main corridor with a much more casual step. Catra hadn't seen a rat in Brightmoon, but apparently the guards weren't paying as much attention to such things. She waited for the steps to fade back into the silence, with a hand caressing her back, another still tangled in her hair. "Out," she whispered, and pushed her companion out of the alcove, a bit more forceful than intended.

"Ow! Now that was unnecessary. I'm still very fragile, you know," they said, not looking one bit fragile despite their bandages and shredded clothes.

"Stop doing that. I don't want your inappropriate flirting, I don't want your twisted mindgames. I'm bringing you to Micah, you get that curse lifted, and then you're out, okay? I don't want anything to do with you anymore!" She pointed a finger at them. "You need me, traitor. So you better not pull a stunt like that again."

Double Trouble stared at her wide-eyed, taking a moment to readjust to her reaction. Despite all her pent-up anger, she had been rather meek before - and she was definitely not that assertive back in the Horde. What had changed?

A memory popped into their head, and they grinned.

"Oh, kitten. Adora is with you now, she loves you like you always wished she would . . ." They leaned closer, the smell coming over Catra again. "But she doesn't know you like I do, kitten. She can't do to you what I can." They sauntered off, their tail caressing her leg once more. "Now let's get going, I don't have all night. Where is that king of yours?"

Catra sighed heavily. They weren't wrong. "That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, Double Trouble. Messing around was fun, but I have more important things in my life now. My family is none of your business."

"Oh?" The kitten finally opposed them?

"And if you need to know, she can be quite forceful, too." Catra grinned, remembering certain things she had managed to get Adora to do to her. It had taken her a while to convince the jock that it was all right now, that it won't make Catra hate her or lash out again. Yet once the ground rules were laid, it was very easy to get Adora going. She had known the blonde all her life - she knew precisely how to get under her skin when she needed to.

Double Trouble smiled. It was a warm smile, not one of their usual grins. A caring smile.

"Matured indeed . . ."