Work Text:
Three days before the full moon
A deep and heavy sigh escaped Caitlyn's lips as she reclined back on the chair, placing her pen down on the desk as she did so. She tilted her head to both sides, trying to work out the knots and kinks in her neck that had formed from staying hunched over paperwork for hours on end. She closed her eyes with a quiet groan of annoyance, eyebrows creasing together as she moved to pinch the bridge of her nose.
She had stayed late behind, most of her other coworkers having already gone home. She would have preferred to leave at the same time as them, but the full moon was almost upon them. While Caitlyn was able to control her lycanthrope tendencies for the most part, it became much more difficult to do so during the full moon. She never really understood why, and when she had asked her mother, she didn't have an answer either. It was just something that Cassandra considered to be a natural part of her life and the Kiramman bloodline since that was the way it always was, so Caitlyn accepted it as such too.
Still, it was always a pain since it interfered with her schedule as the full moon would always make her shift. She still maintained her sense of self, and it was more of an inconvenience than anything else, but it was still annoying since she would try not to be seen by anyone else. As much as possible, Caitlyn wanted to finish her work in advance so that she could clock out early on the night of the full moon.
She glanced towards the clock and noticed just how much time had actually passed. It was already really late into the night, so she decided to leave things here for now and get back to them later. She finished up her work and made sure that everything was in place before leaving and closing up.
Caitlyn exited the building, her shoulders sagging slightly from exhaustion, her gaze dipped low and staring at her feet as it was too much effort to lift her head. It was then that she heard an all too familiar voice call out to her.
"Cupcake!"
Caitlyn immediately perked up, head snapping upwards and landed almost instantly on Vi who had been waiting at the entrance. Vi, who had already started half-jogging her way towards Caitlyn, stopped in her tracks for a brief moment. She blinked once and then laughed out loud, her laughter ringing out in the clear air.
Caitlyn felt heat rising to her cheeks. She realized that her wolf ears and tail had unconsciously popped out the moment she heard Vi's voice. She slightly turned her head away, muttering out a soft apology as soon as Vi was close enough.
Vi assured her with a playful wave of her hand. "You don't need to apologize, cupcake. It's cute. You're cute," she casually tacked on at the end, flashing the woman a doofy-looking grin.
Caitlyn found herself smiling in return, unable to stop herself from doing so whenever Vi looked at her that way. She shook her head with fond exasperation. She took control to hide her ears and tail again, having to make a bit more of a conscious effort. She heard Vi let out a dejected whine once the features were out of sight, but Caitlyn knew better that she was just teasing and let out a soft chuckle at her antics.
"What are you doing here?" She asked the playful woman as the two started to head back to the estate.
"I heard that you were staying late, so I decided I'd come to pick you up," Vi answered, prompting Caitlyn's expression to become soft at the sweet and thoughtful gesture.
The two women leisurely walked back home, making small talk with one another. They talked about useless and mundane things, passing the time.
"This is nice," Caitlyn thought to herself, her hands finding Vi's and interlaced their fingers together, her heart fluttering when Vi squeezed her hand in return.
Two days before the full moon
Today was not a good day. Caitlyn was far more irritable, snapping at almost everybody she came across and scaring them away. It was unavoidable. She was much more sensitive, her senses becoming far more heightened as the full moon approached. Others wouldn't understand and usually tried to avoid her, not wanting to get on her bad side.
Thankfully, she wasn't as bad nowadays. She had learned how to control her anger and emotions better, even if she did still struggle with them every now and then. When she was much younger, she was even worse. Caitlyn reminisced how patient her mother was with her whenever she got like this. She would still get scolded for acting like a brat, of course, but it always came from a warm place. Looking back on those days, Caitlyn belatedly realized that Cassandra would be wearing an understanding expression on her face. As stern as her mother was, she still had a soft and strong heart for her family. The thought made Caitlyn's chest tighten. Oh, how she dearly missed those days and wished to see her mother again...
When Caitlyn returned to the estate, the first thing she did was try to find Vi. She would usually greet her by the door, but she wasn't there, much to her confusion. It didn't take long for Caitlyn to find her in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove and cooking what she immediately recognized to be her favourite meal.
Hearing the woman's footsteps approach her from behind, Vi shot a glance behind her and smiled at Caitlyn. "Welcome back," she greeted, giving Caitlyn a quick peck on the cheek that she brought close to her lips as part of their routine whenever one of them returned home to the other.
"You're a bit earlier than I thought you'd be. I decided to make your favourite dish since I know how growly you can get around this time," Vi explained as she brought her attention back to what she was doing.
"I am not growly," Caitlyn argued with slightly pursed lips. "I'm more... cranky, than anything."
Vi shook her head. "No, you definitely growl. It's kinda sexy though."
Caitlyn rolled her eyes at the comment before moving to wrap her arms around Vi's waist, making sure the woman's arms still had ample space to move around to work. She tucked her chin on Vi's shoulder, watching her carefully stir the food in front of them. The smell of the dish filled Caitlyn's senses, and it filled her with warmth and comfort. Unable to stop herself, Caitlyn nuzzled her cheek against Vi's, her tail peeking out and swishing happily behind her.
"Wait, wait, wait!" I told you—not in the kitchen while I'm cooking! You'll get your hair in the food," Vi exclaimed, leaning back in an attempt to push Caitlyn back and put some distance between them and the stove.
Caitlyn pouted in response but relented, unable to argue. It had happened before. Although they were able to look back on the memory and laugh at it now, Caitlyn still found it embarrassing and swore that it wouldn't happen again.
"Be a good girl and wait for me," Vi told her. "I'm almost done."
Caitlyn pursed her lips together in a tight line. She hated it whenever Vi said things like that since it always made her heart skip a beat.
One day before the full moon
A loud and unceremonious groan resounded in the spacious room. Caitlyn lay on the bed, face buried in her pillows. She was lethargic and her head throbbed and ached. Her senses were even more on high alert, leaving her at her most sensitive and vulnerable point. Everything was too loud and too bright. She hated these days the most.
Her ears twitched when she heard the door creak open before slowly closing again. She felt the bed dip beside her and knew that it was Vi checking up on her. Caitlyn kept her face pressed into the pillows, and Vi didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Caitlyn already knew just how much Vi was worried about her.
She felt a gentle weight fall on the top her head. Wordlessly, Vi started stroking Caitlyn's hair. It was such a soft and loving motion that felt familiar. It made sense. Vi was a caring older sister. She must have comforted her sister the same way. The repetitive sensation and peaceful quiet breaths that Vi exhaled lulled Caitlyn into a pleasant sleep.
Night of the full moon
Thankfully, Caitlyn's preparations and long nights prior were not in vain as she was able to leave work early with no hassle. Admittedly, she could have taken the day off, but she was too prideful for that. She was confident in her abilities and serious about her work that she wanted to avoid taking days off unless absolutely necessary.
In the comfort of her own home, Caitlyn began unbuttoning and unbuckling her outfit. She stripped herself down completely and put her clothes away in a safe place, not wanting them to tear when she transformed. Sure, she might have had the money to buy new clothes if these broke, but why bother with that? If it was avoidable, then she would take the steps necessary to do so.
Caitlyn flopped down onto her bed with a sigh and waited for the shift to take effect, curling up slightly. She remembered the first time it happened to her as a child. She was so afraid. Even if she already knew what was going to happen, experiencing it herself firsthand was a different matter completely. Everything was painful and new. Her parents stayed with her throughout as she cried throughout the whole process, Cassandra and Tobias cooing soothing words of comfort and assurance.
Now that she was grown up, the process was much more bearable. It was still slightly uncomfortable, but it wasn't particularly painful. She had gone through many moon cycles of the same thing that she had gotten used to it by now.
By the time Vi returned to the estate, Caitlyn had already gone through the shift and found the werewolf napping happily in the center of the bed, all curled up with her tail neatly tucked in. Vi chuckled at the sight and moved to approach Caitlyn, running her fingers through the soft tufts of fur.
"I'm home," she lovingly whispered.