The sun was beginning to set over the fields. Dappled sunlight shone through the cracks in the roof of the barn. 

"I'll get you, Song!" Boost exclaimed as he ran after her across the barn. Deserve pelted after his siblings, his heart racing. They'd been chasing each other and playing tag for a while, and he was getting tired. But he was having too much fun to quit.

"You never will!" Song purred and skidded to a stop in front of a pile of hay, stepping back. Deserve and Boost squeaked in alarm and tried to stop, but went skidding over bits of hay and straight into the pile. "Oof!"

"Hey!" Deserve scrambled out of the pile, shaking pieces of hay from his fur. Boost joined him a moment later, a clump of hay resting on his head. He let out a laugh and pushed Boost over, grabbing a pawful of hay and pushing it onto his head. "Take that!"

Boost let out a playful growl and tackled Deserve, pushing him into the hay and nipping his ear. "Oh yeah, hay-pelt?"

"Kits!" Velvet padded up to them, her blue eyes shining. "It's getting late. You should be resting."

 "Aww!" The kits leaped apart and stared at her.

"But we're not tired!" Boost protested, and Deserve and Song nodded agreement. I want to play some more! He thought, exhilarated as his little heart thumped in his chest.

Song stared up at Velvet hopefully. "Can we play hide and seek?" She asked.

Their mother purred and looked past her toward the entrance of the barn. "Your father will be back from hunting soon. Won't he want to see you resting?"

"Please!" The kits stared at her, eyes round and hopeful.

Velvet let out a purr. "Oh, alright!" Her eyes shone. "But only if I can play too."

"Yay!" Song squeaked and bounced up and down. "Are you going to seek?"

"Of course," She purred and padded up to a post in the barn, facing it and closing her eyes as she began counting. "One... Two..."

The kits looked around quickly. I've got to find a good place to hide! Deserve thought. His gaze darted around the barn and rested on the pile of hay he and Boost had crashed into. There! That's perfect! He raced over and leaped face-first into the hay, flinching a little as the hard pieces poked at his face. Ow! He shuffled forward in the hay until he could just see through and peered out.

Velvet was still counting. "Six... Seven..."

He spotted Song's white tail sticking out behind an old shovel resting against the wall of the barn and chuckled. She'll be caught first! He looked for Boost, but couldn't see him.

"Nine..."

Ah! Deserve shifted further back into the hay, staring out at his mother. She'll never find me! He thought triumphantly. As she moved, he spotted Boost crouched behind the post she'd been counting by. Sneaky!

"Ten!" Velvet finished and turned, looking around the barn. "Ready or not, here I come!" She began padding around, her blue eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. She almost immediately caught sight of Song's tail behind the shovel. She let out a purr and began padding toward it. "Oh, where could Song be?"

Song giggled, her tail twitching as she tried to move it out of sight. Velvet reached her and snatched her up by her scruff. Song laughed and struggled to pull free. "Hey, let go!"

Velvet purred and gently rested her on the floor of the barn. "Got you! You know what that means?" Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

She sat down and stared at her. "What?"

"I get to lick you clean!" Velvet shot forward and pulled Song close with one paw, rasping her tongue over her fur. 

"Ew!" Song wailed and struggled to get away. "It's the licky monster! Boost! Deserve!"

Boost snickered and stayed where he was by the post, but Deserve let out a playful growl and sprang out of the hay, bounding toward them. "I'll save you!" He leaped onto Velvet's back and playfully batted his white paws at her shoulder. "Let her go, you monster!" He purred.

Velvet let go of Song, whose white fur was wet and sleek from all the licking. Deserve leaped off of his mother and laughed as he stared at his sister. "Look at your fur!"

Song glared at him, shaking out her slick fur.

"I wouldn't laugh, Deserve," Velvet's voice hardened, and he was startled, thinking he was about to be scolded. I was just teasing! But her eyes lit with warmth once again. "Because now it's your turn!"

Deserve gasped in alarm and spun to race away, but Velvet grabbed him before he could and pulled him against her chest. "No!" He exclaimed as she began quickly lapping at his fur. He struggled and tried to duck away from her tongue. "Ew!"

He heard Boost laughing, and every cat looked toward him. He was sitting by the post, his tabby shoulders shaking as he laughed hard at them. "You two look ridiculous!"

Velvet let go of Deserve and stood, her gaze resting on Boost, who's amusement quickly faded. "Oh no." He started backing away, and Velvet leaped at him. "No!" Boost gasped and spun, bolting across the barn with Velvet hard on his tail. "Help!" His yellow eyes flashed to his siblings. "Guys!"

Deserve and Song sat together and exchanged an amused glance before they looked back at Boost. "You'll be fine," He purred, and Song laughed. He didn't help us, so why should we help him?

Boost skidded to a halt in a corner of the barn, letting out an alarmed gasp. "Ah!"

Velvet chuckled and cornered him. "I've got you now!" She scooped him up by the scruff and carried him back to the other kits.

Deserve watched in amusement as his brother suffered the same ordeal. "Stop!" Boost grunted and twisted, trying to escape her tongue. "Ew! Gross!" Deserve and Song snickered.

"There! Nice and clean." Velvet nuzzled him and released him. Boost immediately stumbled away, his brown tabby fur a spiky mess.

As their mother sat down and licked her paw, Deserve waved his tail eagerly. "Can we play again! Please?"

Velvet hesitated, looking outside. "It's getting late..."

"Just one more!" Song begged and looked at Boost, who was trying to smooth out his wet fur. "Right, Boost?"

Boost shuddered. "As long as there's no more licking, I'm in!"

Their mother purred. "Alright! I'll hide this time." She gently nudged Boost with her pink nose. "Boost, why don't you seek? You're always very good at it."

Boost let out a purr at her compliment. "Of course I am!" He puffed out his chest. "I'm the best!"

"We'll see about that," Song muttered.

Boost glared at her before crouching, covering his eyes with his paws. "Okay, okay. One... Two... Three..."

Deserve and Song raced away to find hiding spots. Deserve saw another pile of hay and ran behind it, peering out. Song had leaped into a haystack like he had earlier, but her tail was sticking out again. He purred in amusement. Velvet was sitting up on a barn loft, gazing down at Boost.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Boost turned and hurried around the barn, sniffing around as he walked. He looked over and saw Song's tail sticking out of the haystack. He snickered and crouched, slowly stalking toward her. When he was close enough, he pounced on her tail, pinning it with his paws.

"Ow!" Song yelped and leaped out, sending hay flying everywhere. "That hurt!"

Boost laughed, and a moment later, Velvet leaped down from the loft, landing behind him. "Boo!"

He leaped up and squeaked in alarm, spinning to face her. "Hey!" They all laughed. Deserve watched in amusement.

"What's going on here?" 

Deserve took a step away from the hay and saw that Dice had come into the barn, three dead mice at his paws. His yellow eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Dice!" Boost and Song raced up to their father. Velvet sat down and watched warmly as Dice nuzzled them.

Their father paused, looking around. "Where's Deserve?"

"I'm here!" Deserve ran out and bounded to his father, purring loudly. "Did you catch a lot today? Where did you go? Did anything exciting happen?"

Dice purred and licked Deserve's head. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," He promised. "It's getting late. You all need to rest."

"Aww!" Boost and Song complained.

Deserve gazed up at his father and purred. "I can't wait!" He loved hearing about what Dice did every day. Even if he had to wait, it would be worth it. He's the best father ever, and he hunts for us! Where would we be without him?