forget me not

❄️ZAYNE

Zayne being Zayne.

While most people would probably panic after discovering that their girlfriend had somehow turned into a cat overnight, Zayne approached the situation with terrifying calmness.

He left the apartment and returned shortly with an alarming stack of library books related entirely to cat care.

《Nutritious Diet For Cats》

《How To Keep Your Cat Happy》

《First Time Cat Owners 101》

"Meow?"

"You’ll be fine," he reassured, with a book open on the coffee table and his iPad ready for note taking.  

If there was one thing that Zayne excelled at, it was taking care of people. Apparently cats now too.

You were treated like royalty. Your water bowl was changed daily. Your meals were homecooked. Your fur was brushed twice a day. He even bought you a sparkly pink bow collar. 

Resisting you had already been difficult when you were human, but now it was nearly impossible.

All you had to do was look up at him with those big round eyes, tilt your head slightly and let out a soft meow before he completely melted.

The no-treats-before-dinner rule went straight out the window. And apparently, so did his personal space. Zayne was now available for cuddles twenty-four seven.

Truthfully, Zayne secretly enjoyed this arrangement more than he probably should have.

For once, he was able to spend more time with you. A luxury that neither of you had before due to your busy schedules. 

When he was working, you would sleep right by his arm on his desk. When he was reading on the sofa you would curl up on his lap meowing for pets.

Which was why, when you finally turned human again, Zayne found himself feeling a little disappointed.

"You miss cat me don’t you?"

"No."

"Liar."

Smiling softly, you leaned forward to kiss the pout off his face.

Lucky for him you knew just how to cheer him up. After all, you still remembered where he kept that sparkly pink cat collar. 

🍎CALEB

Caleb was having a full on mental breakdown. His precious little baby sister had suddenly been reduced to a ball of fluff. Although he couldn't deny that you were a cute ball of fluff.

You were whisked away to sky heaven immediately. Doctors crowded around you, looking seconds away from collapsing from stress, while Caleb fired question after question at them without pause.

“Is this reversible?”

“Would there be any negative side effects?”

“Is she in any pain right now?”

He was only able to relax after learning that the change was temporary. You would return to normal in a few week's time. 

Until then, Caleb gave in to your every whim with terrifying ease. Your claws destroyed his couch and he didn’t even bat an eye at the damage. "It was old anyway." 

A single meow, and your food bowl was instantly refilled.

"Doesn’t she look a little… rounder now?" one of his coworkers asked cautiously.

"Nonsense." Caleb looked deeply offended by the accusation. "Look at how happy she is."

At first, Caleb hated the inconveniences that came with your transformation. No more kisses. No more hugs. No more late night banters. But over time, he was starting to see the benefits of you being a cat.

You were way clingier than usual. You would follow him everywhere, tiny paws tapping behind him faithfully. You would sit outside the bathroom while he showered and curl up beside him every night without fail.

Your jealousy also became painfully obvious. 

"Colonel, could you review this report for me?"

Caleb barely looked up as his subordinate leaned slightly too close beside him. Then he saw you from the corner of his eye. Your fur was puffed up, tail raised sky high and claws extended like you were out for blood. And then you pounced. 

Caleb caught you smoothly midair and hugged you against his chest just seconds before your tiny claws could commit any real crime. You hissed in his arms. Eyes still locked on the target.

"Leave the report on my desk. You may leave"

"Y-yes sir"

You received extra treats that day. He was quite literally enabling your transformation into a little menace. 

It didn't take long till you were known in the base as the aggressive cat that followed Caleb everywhere. Approach with caution. 

When you finally turned back into a human, you were utterly horrified. Caleb was never going to let you forget that for once you were the obsessive one in the relationship.

"…We’re never speaking about this again.'

“First of all, I don’t bark, I protect what is mine!” you say firmly. “Second… at least you don’t undress him with your eyes when you look at him.” Gideon laughs, “But I’ve seen him naked before. In fact, I see him naked all the time.” A grin on his face. You shoot him a stern look and yell:

“Well… DELETE IT from your brain and…” you turn to Caleb now, “….why is Gideon seeing you naked all the time?”

Caleb is highly amused by your open jealousy. “Well, after exhausting missions, we take showers together on site before changing into our regular clothes. Nothing unusual, Pips. Everyone does that.” His explanation sounds reasonable, so you let him off the hook.

However, Gideon is having a little too much fun right now. “Right, and when I said I touch him all the time…” His gaze drifts down to Caleb’s crotch, just to annoy you… You immediately pull your hand away from Caleb’s chest and cover his crotch instead. “Don’t look at his dick!!” Caleb tenses up. Your hands are not only hovering over his crotch but actually grabbing him. “P-Pips!! Your hands—” he grabs your wrist and pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you from behind while strategically hiding his ‘growing problem’. “What is it, Caleb?” you ask, genuinely not understanding the issue.

“Pips, you can’t do that in public!” “Do what?” “Like… touching it…” You glance down. “I see why… Quick!! Hide it in my mouth!!” you blurt out loudly.

Gideon chokes on his drink. Patrick starts HOWLING from laughter, “Caleb my man…I am speechless..and somewhat jealous..!”

Caleb’s ears are red, his face flushed. “Pips, you’re clearly drunk. I think I’ll need to take you home.” “Nooo~ I’m just joking!” you whine. “But you can’t just…” he hesitates as he notices everyone watching, “….let’s talk for a moment, yeah? Pat, mind if I use your room?” “Go ahead.”

Caleb guides you out of the living room, slightly dragging you since you refuse to walk properly. “Where are we going?” “To Patrick’s room.” “Ooooh, right. Why?” “To talk.” “Talk. Right. In Patrick’s room. Right.” You turn your head toward Patrick and yell: “PATRICK! Caleb and I are going to TALK in your room. Well, he’s going to do all the talking, because I’ll be busy using m—”

“THAT’S IT!” Caleb throws you over his shoulder. He puts you down only after you’re in Patrick’s room and locks the door behind him. He exhales loudly and just looks at you. “Let’s talk then” you say sarcastically while playing with his belt. “Behave.” His tone is serious. You sit down on the bed & look up at him.

“But that’s not fun. Besides… I finally have you to myself,” you admit. “I felt like I needed to compete for your attention tonight. I guess…I overdid it.” Caleb sighs. He steps closer, pushing you gently back onto Patrick’s bed, leaning over you now. His large frame is hovering above yours.

“You really don’t know when to stop, do you?” “You knew that already. And yet… you brought me anyway,” you respond. Caleb closes the distance and captures your lips in a kiss. You immediately grab him by his necklace and pull him closer, breaking whatever restraint he had left.

His grip tightens slightly at your waist as he leans you back into the mattress, deepening his kiss. You unbuckle his belt and start feeling his hard cock, slowly squeezing him through his boxers. Caleb inhales sharply and bites on your lower lip. He grabs your wrists and pins your hands above your head.

*Bzz Bzz* You both stop.

What is it?” you ask. “My phone.” He reaches into his pockets. He now smiles at the screen. “What’s so funny?” Caleb gives you his phone. A message from Patrick lights up the screen: “I’ll reroute your jet to hell & back, if you two fuck on my bed, istg!!” You smile, but can’t help feeling a bit disappointed. “Guess we gotta stick to talking.”

caleb is 20 when he's about to leave for the DAA. there's an air of silence around the house. you've trapped yourself in your room more often, stressing over your senior finals. at least, that's what you've been telling him.

"i'm sorry caleb, i really need to study for this test."

"oh! i totally forgot about that project i had due tonight. shit, i'm sorry caleb. we'll have another movie night soon, okay?"

he doesn't know if you're actually this busy or if you're actually ignoring him. all he does know is that he misses you. he wonders about how he could miss someone who was in the room across from him. you were so close, but so far.

when you found out he was leaving—though you had a grin on your face while congratulating him—caleb knew you were devastated. he wondered if you were secretly mad at him for leaving.

two weeks before his departure, he practically forces you to be around him. he laid down next to you like before. he stroked your hair while you napped on the couch. he teased you and picked you up so you could hit him and grab him like you used to. he always chose to put his arm around you during a movie. he dragged you by the hand all around the neighborhood. he needed to all of that again, a thousand times more.

but at 24, it seems like there may have been a wedge between the two of you. calls are more and more infrequent.

"sorry, space signal sucks," he'd type.

"sorry, i was busy with training!" you'd reply, 2 days later.

he thinks that he would do anything to go back to before. he hasn't felt you in months. he sees you only twice a year.

it's hard. it was excruciating during the first few weeks. not only was he dealing with bootcamp, but he always found himself looking to his side, thinking you'd be there with him. at night, you were there, right next to him in bed.

he imagined that you would whisper words of reassurance in his ear. you'd hold onto him like you used to, when you had nightmares, and wrap your legs between his. there were days where we stroked his necklace, wishing that it was your hand instead. what he would give to have you next to him.

all he wants is to be able to feel you again. he chastises his 10-year-old self for taking you for granted back then. he wants to feel the apples of your cheeks when he caresses your face. once,—when he was 13 (you, 11)—he did that, and he thought you had a fever the way you warmed up. if he could, caleb would build a time machine to go back to that.

caleb is 25 when he is out of your life.

he thinks about you every day. it reminds him of when he was in bootcamp five years ago. it takes him back to when he was fifteen; you were on top of him, and his brain was fried to a crisp. caleb wonders if he's always been this way, because he can recall that at ten, you were still the only thing consuming his mind.

even during his arm repairs, you're there throughout all the pain.

when you discover his metal arm, all of caleb's instincts point to the door. he's spent so long trying to hide it from you: it's the constant long-sleeves (even though they made him incredibly uncomfortable), or making sure to only touch you with his left-hand (even though he wanted to pull you in with both hands).

but he stays. because it's you.

you freeze momentarily, listening to his writhes and moans of pain. caleb only notices you're there when he feels your hands brush his shoulder. he jolts back in surprise, and he sees you looming over him.

he stammers something, not even sure of what he said because you're here. you see him. you see it.

caleb's wanted this for so long. he wanted to see you again, in a state where you were both vulnerable, like old times. however, that moment probably wouldn't have come if he doesn't confess about this, so he relays the details.

you listen attentively, eyes wide with shock as caleb goes on. your hands wrap around his metal one, and he feels nothing. it's agonizing. he sees you examine him so gently. your fingers trace over bolts and plates of metal, lightly stroking up and down his arm. and caleb feels nothing.

how often has he dreamed of this? for you to be touching him again, so intimately and softly? he's stayed up countless nights wishing for you to be here, just so he can put his arms around you in a crushing embrace, only to be incapable of feeling you on one side of his body.

you pull away from his arm, asking if the fleet was accountable. when he doesn't say anything, he feels your weight lift off the bed and go towards the door.

whatever happens next is involuntary. he uses his flesh arm to pull you back, caging you between his forearm and his chest. there's no thought to it, no rationalization. it's just you and him. and he's been deprived of this for so long.

he breathes into the crevice of your neck, and he has half a mind to place his entire face there. he wants to breathe you in after being away from you for so long. no conversations, no contact, no touching. the last time he was this close to you was years ago. he needs this, caleb thinks.

the feel of you against his bare chest is something he cannot seem to describe. it's like he's his teenage (or even kid) self again, where he seems to short-circuit whenever he comes in contact with you. you're still small compared to him, but you fit perfectly like you did a decade ago.

he lets you go after he feels you trembling. you don't hesitate to place your hands on his waist and tackle him onto the bed. you catch him off-guard as you pin him beneath you, looking straight into his eyes.

"hold me," you plead, "with your right hand."

caleb lets out a shaky breath. there are voltages of electricity flowing through him—literally and figuratively. his skin sparks alive when he feels you. will it be the same with the metal arm?

slowly, caleb raises his mechanical arm. he wraps it around you, and feels the movement of your back shift downwards. you released a breath you didn't know you were holding. caleb held his.

you wait patiently before caleb starts running his metal hand up and down your back. you watch him exhale as he continues. you press your forehead on his, and you breathe in tandem with him.

caleb is 25 when he discovers that he loves physical touch.

wow like i didn't expect this to get so long... but like here we are???

i think we need to start embracing touch-starved caleb in all of our fics. this man hasn't seen the love of his life in YEARS (infrequently, anyway) so i think once she touches him (like INTIMATELY) for the first time in years he goes a little cray.

zayne

really depends on how bad your injury is. if you miss a step and fall down, he knows that the injury might be minor, but the embarrassment is bigger. in that case, he shakes his head and gives a sigh, like an exhausted father that has witnessed the 3948458th fall of their kid

he'll ask you if you are all right afterwards, in a low and subtle tone as to ensure that you can still keep your pride in check lol

won't be laughing at it because zayne is a serious doctor that hates seeing people get hurt. and seeing you hurt is even worse

might actually become physically more bossy with you, as to prevent more falls and accidental trips, like having his body closer to yours, a hand gently resting against your lower back as to guide you, his eyes constantly glancing your surrounding and the path that you are walking, etc ...

i think deep down, he likes to see you stand strong and nonchalant towards pain ; it's almost like a proof to him that you are going to be all right in the event that he isn't there

in the case that you are truly hurt, zayne becomes a doctor real fast : he's analyzing your injuries, questioning you about the pain and any symptoms, what treatments you need , etc ... forget about using humor to get yourself out of this situation. zayne's entire focus is to heal and make you well again

he's also wondering why you got injured in the first place : were you not paying attention ? are you feeling weak, faint or shaky ? did you eat enough ? are you well hydrated ?

caleb

best friend energy, laughs at you if he knows you're not really in pain. teases you while tending to your wounds

i honestly think he'll dramatize your wounds a bit more than what it really is. why ? because that means he can take care of you longer, and it also means that he might become more dependable in your eyes

like if you missed a step and fell down the stairs, caleb will tell you that you might have twisted your ankle even though you only got a small scratch on your knee. he'll insist that you hold his hand while walking, or have him carry you around the house, or that you hold his arm and lean against him so you can avoid putting pressure on your "twisted ankle"

forget about acting all nonchalant when you get lightly hurt : he's going to ragebait you

sylus

similar to zayne, except that he won't verbalize his worry as much and instead, analyze the cause of your injury. is it truly as simple as just an accident, or is there something more behind that accidental injury (like your head is elsewhere because of a problem ? any weakness or recent injuries that could have caused this ?)

a mix of zayne and caleb, will tease you while tending to your wounds

forget about acting all nonchalant, he's carrying you in his arms, makes you sit somewhere (preferably on his lap) while taking care of you. will tease you about how cute you look acting all tough (but deep down, admires your strength and strongness)

also, if this accidental injury happens again, you can expect sylus to modify the environment. like if you fall down the same steps / stairs, sylus will 100% change to another type of stairs

he'll suggest that you take a day off and chill at his house, because why do you even need to work when he is here ? especially now that you are hurt (even if it's just a small wound)

xavier

not buying your nonchalance and tough act, will right away carry you and tend to your wounds quietly, all while ignoring your nagging and squirming

he's a little bit like caleb, but in a more possessive and serious tone : he'll use that fall as an excuse to hold your hand. he'll twist this fall into a more serious tone, insisting that you need to hold onto him or you're going to get hurt again

if you are seriously injured and you try to dismiss it, he'll get frustrated and mad. you're not leaving his hold and his field of vision, won't let you lift or do anything that he deems worse for the injury

once you are feeling ok again, xavier will subtly ask for some compensation, reward or gratitude back ... not in words though. he'll say something along the lines of ''you're my partner and so it's normal that i take care of you, baby ... but you know, you can always show your gratitude if you want'', or ''you're my partner, so it's normal that i take care of you. it's also normal that you take care of me as well'' (and he's not referring to any of his injuries)

rafayel

laughs at you, will for sure try to record or take a picture of you

will think it's even more hilarious if you try to act all nonchalant and tough afterwards ; he's a mix of sylus and caleb, in the sense that he'll ragebait and annoy you (like caleb), but under his teasing and playful remarks, he's also a little bit worried and analyzing if you're truly ok (like sylus)

amongst his playful and loving insults, he's also complimenting you. something like ''how can someone even fall so gracefully?'', or ''you looked so embarrassed earlier, cutie -- so cute !''

he's also like xavier, in the sense that he will want some kind of gratitude back for tending to your wounds. except that he isn't as subtle as xavier : ''what would you do without me, cutie ? you're so lucky that i'm here and taking care of you. look at how well i'm putting the band-aid on !''