It was a cold winter night. Snowflakes drifted down onto the earth in thick flurries, layering onto the blanket of snow that stretched across the field. It glistened and shone under the moonlight. Further into the field, an old barn stood, heaps of snow piling up around it.

A black and white tom padded alongside the barn, the snow crunching softly under his paws. He stopped and looked around. So quiet... Nothing but him and the peaceful silence of the night. He closed his eyes and raised his head to the stars, happiness running through him. Flurries fell onto him and clung to his pelt, making his black fur look almost identical to the stars in the night sky. Any housecat would have found this moment a nightmare, being outside, wet and cold. But he had been a farmcat all his life. He enjoyed being outside, and the coolness felt good on his pelt. And whenever it became too much, he could go back to the barn and curl up in the hay with Velvet.

Since he was a kit, he'd lived in the abandoned barn with his brother, Boost. When his companion died of sickness, he had spent many seasons alone. Once in a while, a cat would come by for food or shelter, and he was always willing to help. Very rarely, an aggressive cat would come along and try to take the barn from him, engaging in a fight. It had only happened twice. He had always managed to fight them off. This was the place where he grew up with his brother, the place he called home. He would never give it up. But it got lonely, hunting mice by himself, falling asleep alone in the barn. It wasn't the same with Boost gone.

However, this all changed last winter, when a cold, hungry housecat named Velvet came across the barn in a snowstorm. She had been abandoned by the side of the road by her housefolk a day earlier, and would have frozen or starved to death if she hadn't found the barn. Her coat was so white, he didn't see her right away against the snowstorm. He had let her stay in the barn and hunted for her until she was better. Enjoying his company and having nowhere else to go, Velvet had decided to stay with him. He couldn't have been more glad. And after a few moons, they fell in love.

She was most of the reason why he was so happy tonight. Velvet was expecting his kits, and they would be born any day now. He couldn't wait to be a father and show his kits all the wonderful things about life around the barn. He hoped they would love it as much as he had when he was a kit, and still did.

Something moved out of the corner of his eye against the snow, and he snapped his attention to it. A small mouse was scurrying alongside the barn, looking for a way to get inside where it was warm. He immediately dropped into a hunting crouch. I'll catch it for Velvet. He thought, fixing his eyes on the tiny creature. He started forward.

"Dice!"

His heart skipped a beat when he heard Velvet call for him. She sounded panicked. The mouse scurried away, but he hardly noticed. It must be time! "I'm coming!" He abandoned his hunt and bounded through the snow around to the front of the barn, slipping through a space between two broken wood planks. Inside, Velvet lay on her side in her nest of hay, flanks heaving. Her blue eyes flashed to him anxiously and she opened her jaws to say something, only to wail instead.

"I'm here." Dice crouched over her and licked her head. "It's going to be okay."

Velvet panted. "I don't know if I'm ready for this!"

"Of course you are." Dice licked her soft white ear. "You can do it!" He tried to sound calm for her sake, but his heart was pounding hard with both excitement and fear. I don't know if I'm ready for this!

"I-" She broke off and wailed as she pushed. A moment later, a tiny brown bundle of fur tumbled into the hay.

A kit! The first kit! Dice quickly pulled it close and began lapping at it's fur, bringing it to life. The kit stretched out and let out a tiny meow. "It's a tom," He announced to his mate happily.

"Really?" Velvet's eyes brightened and she strained to look at him, but only for a second before she gasped out and continued kitting. Next came a tiny white she-cat, who Dice licked clean before placing her gently beside her brother.

"That one's a she-cat," Dice purred and stared at his mate, his heart pounding. Are there any more?

Velvet wailed and pushed out a tiny black ball of fur. Dice gently pulled the kit toward him with one paw and cleaned him as he'd done with the other kits. "It's a tom," He told her as the kit squeaked, moving his tiny white paws.

"Is it over?" rasped Velvet. When Dice nodded a reply, She lifted her snowy head and gazed at her kits lovingly. Dice nudged them toward her stomach, and they began to suckle. He gazed at his kits happily, warmth spreading through him from ears to tail tip. They're perfect. The white she-kit looked just like Velvet. The black tom had white paws like Dice, however the rest of his body was jet black. The stripes on the brown tabby kit reminded him of his brother, Boost, who had been a gray tabby.

Velvet purred weakly as she gazed at the kits. "What should we name them?" She looked exhausted.

"Theres plenty of time for that later," Dice purred. He circled her and curled up against her back in the hay, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Sleep now, my love." The two cats began to doze off together, purring happily.

***

Dice woke up and slowly blinked open his yellow eyes. Daylight shone through the cracks of the barn. He lifted his head from Velvet and looked down, letting out a soft purr. She was still asleep, her flank slowly rising and falling.

The three kits were curled up against her belly. The white she-cat was snuggled against her tabby brother. The black tom was curled up against her with his tiny black tail around him. Dice purred and slowly stood, careful not to wake them. But the black kit seemed to sense that he'd moved and turned his head back toward him, letting out a tiny mew. Dice purred and gently touched his nose to his son's head. Velvet shifted and turned her head to look at Dice.

"Good morning," He purred and nuzzled her. "How are you feeling?"

Velvet purred and touched her pink nose to his. "I have a perfect mate and three perfect kits. I've never been happier."

A purr rumbled loudly in his throat. "Are you hungry?" He asked. Velvet shook her head, but her stomach growled. "I'll go catch you a mouse," He purred and stepped out of the nest of hay.

Velvet stared at him warmly. "I don't want you to go..."

Dice's heart warmed. "I won't be long," He promised, licking her head. "I'll be back soon with the best mouse I can find."

He left the barn and looked around. It had snowed a lot overnight. The world was white for as far as he could see. It wasn't as cold as it had been last night, but the sun was hidden behind the clouds coating the sky. The world felt new and fresh. He had kits now. Everything would be different.

I'll have to do extra hunting. He realized. Instead of two cats to feed, he had five. Velvet was used to the soft life of a house cat. She'd never needed to fend for herself. Dice had tried showing her how to hunt multiple times, but she'd shown no interest. In the end, Dice had decided to do the hunting for her as well as himself. And I'll need to hunt for the kits until they're old enough to learn. He thought.

He spotted a plump gray mouse nibbling at a seed by the corner of the barn. Dice crouched and slowly crept toward it, careful not to crunch the snow under his paws. He stepped lightly and carefully. Focusing on the rodent. When he was close enough, he sprang at it. It squeaked in alarm as he grasped it in his claws and bit into it's neck. The tiny creature went still. He picked it up and hurried back to Velvet, his tail held high.

She was gently licking at the kits, her tail curled around them. She perked up when she saw him. "That was fast," She commented.

Dice sat down in front of her and dropped the mouse. "I told you I would be," He purred and nudged it toward her.

She took a few bites of it, then paused and looked down at the kits. "They need names," She murmured.

"Do you have any ideas?" Dice prompted.

Velvet gazed at the kits. "I've always liked hearing the birds sing in the morning around the barn," She meowed happily as she watched the tiny white she-cat. "I'd like to call her Song."

"That's a beautiful name," Dice purred warmly and looked at the toms. The little tabby continued to remind him of his brother. "Can we name the tabby Boost? After my brother?"

"Of course," Velvet murmured. "I think it suits him."

"What about the last kit?" Dice looked at the black tom. He was trying to sit up in the hay, but kept flopping over.

Velvet purred and gently nudged him to his paws. "I love his white paws." She crouched to take another bite out of the mouse just as the unnamed kit stumbled forward into it. He squeaked and sniffed at it before climbing on top of it, refusing to let his mother touch it.

Dice chuckled and Velvet let out an amused purr. "I think he thinks he deserves that mouse, Dice."

He purred. "Sorry little one, you're too young to eat mice." The word Velvet had used echoed in his mind, and he looked up thoughtfully. "Deserve... What if we call him Deserve?"

Velvet looked up. "Deserve?" She blinked. "It's a strange name."

"It's a unique name." Corrected Dice. As he spoke, the white pawed kit looked up at his father and let out a tiny mew. "I think he agrees!" He purred.

Velvet purred and gazed down at the kit. "Then Deserve it is." She leaned down and rasped her tongue over his black furred head. "Welcome to the barn, little one."

Everything is perfect. Dice thought as he gazed at his family. Life will be amazing here. Me and my family will always share the barn together. Nothing will ever separate us.