Chapter Text
The throne room of the flagship was quiet, bathed in the eerie glow of holographic stars. Outside, the fleet drifted through the vastness of space, an empire without opposition. The war was over, yet the silence that followed was louder than any battle they had fought.
Catra leaned against the grand throne, idly toying with the end of her glove. Horde Prime sat in his usual place, composed as ever, but she knew him well enough by now to notice the subtleties in his posturethe slight tension in his hands, the way his gaze lingered on her longer than necessary.
It had been days since that moment on the bridge, since the unspoken words had been spoken, since something between them had shifted irreversibly.
And yet, neither of them had addressed it.
Catra let out an exaggerated sigh, "So, are we just gonna ignore it?" Horde Prime didn’t look at her, "Ignore what?" She narrowed her eyes, "Don’t pull that all-knowing conqueror act with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about." He was silent for a long moment before speaking, his voice as measured as ever, "I find myself… uncertain." Catra scoffed, "That’s a first."
He finally turned his gaze to her, and for once, there was something uncertain in it, "This is not something I have known before." Catra stared at him, ears twitching as she studied his face. His expression was unreadable, but she could feel the shift in him, the hesitance that had never been there before.
"You’re telling me you’ve ruled the entire universe, controlled thousands of people, and yet you don’t know what this is?" He exhaled, a slow, deliberate thing, "Power is predictable. It is logical. It bends to my will. But this..." His fingers twitched slightly against the armrest of his throne, "This is neither logical nor within my control."
Catra smirked, but there was no real amusement behind it, "Yeah. Welcome to my world."
The silence between them stretched, thick with something unspoken. Catra pushed off the throne and took a step closer, "So what, you’re afraid?" Horde Prime lifted his chin slightly, "I do not fear." She scoffed, "Right. And yet, you won’t even look at me when you say that."
His jaw tensed. He had been avoiding her gaze.
Catra stepped into his space, forcing him to meet her eyes, "What are you so afraid of, Prime?" His breath was steady, but his eyes betrayed him, "I do not understand it." Catra studied him, her tail flicking lazily behind her. Then, without thinking, she reached out, grabbing his wrist. His skin was cool to the touch, unnervingly smooth, yet beneath it, she could feel something very real. "Then stop trying to understand it," she murmured.
His fingers flexed slightly beneath her grip, but he didn’t pull away.
"You always have an answer for everything," she continued, her voice quieter now, "Always in control. Always knowing exactly what move to make." She tilted her head, "But this? This isn’t something you control."
His gaze flickered to her lips, just for a second, but it was enough. Catra’s breath hitched, her grip tightening slightly on his wrist, "This is something you feel."
There it was again, that flicker of hesitation, of something dangerously close to vulnerability. Catra swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest, "Do you feel it?" His voice was softer than she had ever heard it, "Yes." The air between them was heavy, electric.
Catra licked her lips, her tail curling slightly, "Then stop pretending like you don’t know what this is." For a moment, it seemed like he would retreat, that he would let the moment slip away like before. But then, slowly, deliberately, he lifted his other hand, brushing his fingers against her cheek. Catra inhaled sharply, her skin burning beneath his touch.
"You are… unlike anything I have ever encountered," he murmured, "And I find myself unable to remain unchanged in your presence." Catra’s heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it, "Then don’t," she whispered.
Horde Prime’s fingers slid down her jaw, his touch impossibly careful, as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed to do this. As if he was asking. Catra made the decision for him. She surged forward, capturing his lips with hers.
For a second, he didn’t move. He was completely still, as if processing the sensation itself. And then, slowly, he kissed her back.
His lips were cool against hers, hesitant at first, but then firm, purposeful. His hands found her waist, pulling her closer in a way that felt new... not an order, not a demand, but a need.
Catra’s fingers tangled in his white strands of hair, sharp claws grazing against the back of his neck as she deepened the kiss, pouring everything into it—the frustration, the longing, the unspoken everything that had built between them for so long.
When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless.
Catra searched his face, expecting the usual arrogance, the usual self-assured certainty. But what she saw instead made her chest tighten. For the first time, Horde Prime looked human. For the first time, he looked unsure.
Catra smirked, running her fingers over his jaw, "So. Still confused?" Horde Prime exhaled, the ghost of a chuckle beneath it, "No. Not anymore." Catra grinned, "Good." She kissed him again, and this time, he met her without hesitation. This was it.
The line had been crossed.
And neither of them would ever go back.