A/N: The song they're listening to is Creatures by Handsome Ghost. It captures the vibe pretty well (+ is title inspiration), so I might recommend listening while reading.

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There was something special about driving fast down a familiar road in the dark, windows down, summer air billowing in to mix with the atmosphere already filled by the dinning music of Handsome Ghost on the radio. The volume was turned up so high that each chord thrummed into Adora's very being, the melody permeating her whole awareness, lulling her into a sort of trance where all of her senses rose in intensity rather than dulling.

The open windows let in the noises of the night: the friction of the tires against the well-travelled pavement versus the cadence of the crickets and frogs that hid thick in the black forest to either side. The stark contrast between the sounds of nature outside and the music floating from the radio inside made Adora feel enclosed in her own little section of the world; safe; untouchable; independent and free. She hadn't ever felt so powerful and yet so humbled behind the wheel of a car. She relished the hum of the controls beneath her palms as she sped through the night.

The air would have been warm enough to be uncomfortable if it weren't for the breeze feathering steadily past her cheek, tugging her hair out of its ponytail one strand at a time. As it were, the weather couldn't have felt more perfect. Adora luxuriated in the feeling of warmth and relief caressing her skin in turns, and then just the feeling of being able to enjoy it at all. She was so aware of everything around her and it was so absolutely idyllic that it laid a pressure in her chest that she wasn't sure made her want to laugh, scream or cry.

Giddy didn't quite grasp the whole depth of what it made her feel, but neither did excited or thrilled or even, well, high. She doubted even drugs could match the sheer brilliance of this simple yet complex feeling. Maybe the word for it was transcendent.

Maybe she was being a little dramatic.

Who could blame her? She was happy.

Because what made this particular drive even more special was sharing it with the person Adora loved most—because, yeah, right now there was nothing at all holding her back from admitting that.

She steered the car onto a straightaway and took the opportunity to let her eyes drift from the road to her companion. Streetlights highlighted the angled planes of her face in warm orange at intervals as they passed in and out of the beams. They played up her tan skin and made both of her eyes look gold and Adora thought herself the most blessed being alive to be witnessing her beauty right now.

"Catra," she said abruptly into the music-filled atmosphere, utterly caught up in the moment, "you're fucking perfect."

At those words, Catra smiled so big her cheeks dimpled and her gold-tinted eyes crinkled and her sharp teeth caught the light and all Adora's adoration for her doubled instantly. She reached over and trailed her knuckles affectionately over the side of her partner's face, and then playfully pushed her head to face front again. "Watch the road," was all she said, although her voice was just as thick as the otherworldly ambience Adora found herself enveloped in; just as full of barely restrained feeling.

"Hey!" Adora wrinkled her nose against the touch and giggled but did as she was told. "It's your fault for being so distracting."

Catra balked. "Me?" She snorted softly. "You want distracting, huh? Talk to me again once we stop." The way her words descended into a purr at the end were implication enough.

Adora felt her face heat up and her excitement spike. "Okay," she affirmed through a throat gone dry with anticipation. She felt like she was bursting at the seams. "I'll hold you to that."

She could sense the heat of Catra's wicked smile, and she forced herself not to look over at her. After all, once she started she might not be able to stop. So she kept driving, trying to fight a grin of her own so hard her cheeks began to ache.

Ten minutes later, she parked the car and turned off the ignition. The streetlights of the stadium parking lot half-illuminated the car interior in hazy white. Now the blue of Catra's right eye was what shined brightest in the glow.

Adora turned to her and met that blue with a slow grin forming, leaning her elbow on the console between their seats. Her head felt light, like she wasn't actually within her body, but it was more titillating than concerning. It made the jewel-toned points of Catra's intense gaze that much more affecting; grounding. "You were saying?" she drawled as she returned that thousand-degree gaze.

Catra let out a little laugh. "Adora, you idiot," she scolded fondly, but she was already leaning across to narrow the distance between them, reaching her hand up to cradle Adora's jaw. Her touch was like sparks against the blonde's skin. "We're going to miss the game."

Adora's eyes slid down to Catra's mouth, watching the way her sharp canine caught on the edge of her lip as she smiled. She loved that smile. "That wouldn't be so bad," she reasoned at a murmur. She tilted her head into Catra's hand and leaned in, meeting those crooked lips with her own briefly. If her fingers had been sparks, this was like a bolt of lightning.

She pulled back an inch and felt Catra's warmth breath hit her mouth in another gentle laugh before the brunette followed her, closing the distance again, with more abandon this time. Wiry arms snaked around her neck and pulled her closer as their lips locked and found a rhythm, giving and taking the same way Adora and Catra had learned to do with each other, pouring their hearts out without ever saying a word. Adora was quickly caught up in the feeling of Catra's closeness; her deft lips and hands; the throb of her heartbeat against her chest where they were pressed together. As Adora buried her hand in wild brown hair to pull Catra's head to the side and deepen the contact, she found the breath rushing out of her at the realization that this was real; this was happening. Lovely, witty, rough-edged Catra was here with her, letting her kiss her, letting her be a part of her life. Letting her into her close-guarded heart, a privilege she didn't allow many. Letting her love her.

And Adora was happy—honored—to do that.

A shudder rippled through her and she found herself breaking away to gasp as that thought struck a chord she'd never felt before.

Catra ran her thumbs over her partner's cheeks and tilted her head, eyes flickering up to meet shining blue ones with a question behind them. "Are you okay?" she rasped softly. Her gaze dropped to the blonde's lips as if magnetically before she forced it back up, and Adora felt another shot of overwhelming feeling at the gesture, too complicated to put a name to. It was affection, and pleasure, and awe, but also a hint of fear and she had no idea what all else. She didn't know how to express it except to reach up and clasp Catra's hands in hers and press their foreheads together as she panted into the tiny gap between them.

—and whisper, "I love you," with every ounce of conviction she could muster. Which, right now, was a lot.

So much that Catra twitched back in surprise, meeting Adora's eyes again as if trying to determine if she'd heard her correctly. Adora held her gaze, unflinching, heart feeling like it was burning up and running out of her chest and climbing into her throat all at once. A ghost of fear passed through her thoughts—what if Catra wasn't ready to hear that? What if she didn't feel the same way at all? What if—

—but then the brunette twisted her hands so her palms were against Adora's and threaded their fingers together and said softly, "I love you too, Adora." Just to punctuate her words she lifted her chin and kissed her on the forehead tenderly.

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and shivered under the touch, feeling her pent-up storm of emotions somehow swell and dissipate at the same time. The foremost feeling in the midst of the tempest was relief—relief that the two of them were on the same page and closer than ever.

Then Catra broke into a lopsided grin, serving to coax Adora out of her reverie, and said mischievously, "Now, you were saying?"

Adora understood her loud and clear. Her buzz of emotion turned into torrid fuel and she channelled it into her next motion: pulling Catra by the hands so their bodies fell against one another again and their mouths could continue what they'd started.

And, this time as they kissed, long and thorough, Adora could feel her temperature rising and all that high-strung thrill of tonight's drive returning, only sharper, shooting down into places she was nervous to think about. Catra's touch egged it on, making her heart pound and her breathing ragged between kisses.

Then, all of a sudden the brunette pushed herself up in her seat mid-liplock and crawled over the center console, sliding instead onto Adora's lap with her knees on either side. The pressure and the heat of her presence made Adora gasp just as much as the unexpected gesture itself, and in the brief pause that she broke away to draw a breath she could see Catra looking down at her with half-lidded eyes and a sultry grin. As if that wasn't enough, once she was settled on the blonde's lap she slid her grip to her wrists and pinned them above her head with both hands. Adora, jerking her chin up in a mixture of shock and wry excitement, dared to jab, "Oh, so you're in that kind of mood?"

Catra gave an unconvincing little groan of dissent. "No. I just wanted to admire your biceps," she corrected, and bent her head to nuzzle along said features, her wild hair brushing against Adora's chin as she moved.

As nice as that felt, Adora gave an exasperated little huff through her nose, partly because compliments made her shy and partly because she'd rather have Catra's lips back on hers—especially in this new position. "Catra—" she protested and tugged against her grip, but the brunette held her fast, flashing a toothy smirk as she raised her head.

"What is it, princess? Don't like someone else being in control for once?" she said sweetly.

Although her words were meant to tease, and Adora knew that her partner wasn't actually bitter anymore, she felt herself getting defensive. She knew that's exactly what Catra wanted, but she wasn't about to stoop to her level just now. So she didn't say anything. She just muscled her way free of Catra's hold and threw her arms around her waist instead, pressing into the brunette until her back was forced against the steering wheel and Adora could lower her lips to her lithe neck.

Catra's gasp was more satisfying than a won argument, anyway.

Long-nailed hands grasped at Adora's shoulder blades as she nipped at her partner's throat, digging into the fabric of her shirt and the skin beneath. It made Adora's heart pound, and something buried stirred strongly in her the more she touched Catra. She didn't fight it. Instead she redoubled her efforts, determined to communicate to this girl a notion she would never be able to put into words.

Catra made a strangled sound as one of Adora's bites came down a little hard. "Don't leave a mark, moron," she growled, although it sounded much less authoritative out of breath as she was.

Adora kissed Catra's throat a little softer; an apology. "Why not?" she murmured into her tan skin. Her hands were itching at the hem of her companion's shirt and she was fully intending to let the pulsing heat in her middle lead her further unless the other girl gave her a good reason to stop.

"'Cause then everyone will know we—ngh—" Catra groaned at a particular pass of Adora's lips over the spot beneath her ear. "—hit out in your fucking car."

Adora felt her lips stretch in a smile. "That wouldn't be so bad," she said, just like before, pausing her affections to favor resting her head against Catra's shoulder. Her nose just brushed her sculpted collarbone. "Would it?"

Catra sighed and it ruffled the stray hairs that had escaped from Adora's ponytail. She shifted her hands on the blonde's back so she could run her palms soothingly up and down the muscled surface. Adora let her eyes drift closed, content with this soft interlude in their heated exchange. Because, this was what made the difference between love and something else. This was what set their relationship apart from the average college fling—the tenderness in between. And she wouldn't trade it for a thing.

"No," Catra said after a minute, relocating one hand to come up beneath Adora's chin. She nudged her head up so that they could face each other again and Adora saw the glow in her blue and gold gaze. She was beginning to smile again, fondly. "I guess it wouldn't." Her eyes drifted down, and the blonde took that as permission enough to slide her hands under Catra's shirt like she'd wanted to, and Catra pulled herself closer against Adora's body and their lips sought each other's out again and met hotly.

They didn't come apart for a while.

And they missed the game.

...