Edited ✔️
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Miley's flank rose and fell at a steady pace, her breathing long and slow as she slept. Suddenly, she bolted upright, her eyes fluttering open. Her gaze swept across the room, her paws sinking down into the cushion of her bed as the tufts of fabric stuck between her toes. "Harvey?" The red tabby meowed, her ears pricked to their fullest extent as she searched for her friend. She pulled herself to her feet, sliding out from the bed and onto the wooden floor. Placing her paws calmly against the solid ground ground, she walked forward, padding straight into another room.

Miley spotted a dusty brown tom dozing peacefully on top of a couch, his lighter colored belly exposed to the sun's light. "Harvey!" She purred, lingering on his name as she arched her back in a luxurious stretch, before leaping onto the soft surface to greet the tom. "Wake up, fluff head!" She poked and prodded at his side, urging him to awaken from his peaceful slumber. A glint of satisfaction appeared in Miley's brown eyes as Harvey stirred, a small groan escaping his muzzle.

"What is it, Miley?" The brown tom groaned, his paws swiping blindly at the air as he remained in his position, his eyes still squeezed shut. At one last prod from Miley, he tossed himself upwards, his amber eyes flashing open. He scrambled to his paws, shoving Miley off the couch in doing so.

Miley's paws scrabbled against the hardwood floor as she caught her balance, quickly pulling herself to stand straight. She flicked her ears as her friend blinked down at her, his head tilted to the side.

"What do you want?" Harvey meowed, his paws dangling over the edge of the sofa.

Miley's gaze darted to and fro, trying to find an excuse as to why she had roused Harvey. Her eyes landed on the perfect item, it's purple fur nearly glowing in the midst of her excitement. Miley pounced forward, her paws hooking the stuffed mouse as she hurled it into the air. She reared onto her hind legs and batted it towards Harvey, taking perfect aim as it flew forward and bounced off his muzzle.

"You're it!" She cried, landing gracefully on all fours. She twisted around, bounding forward to escape Harvey as he scooped the toy mouse up in his jaws, the tom catching onto the game. "You'll never catch me!" Miley teased, tossing back her head as laughter rippled through her bones.

Harvey leaped down from the chair, landing heavily on the ground with a thud. He took a moment to gather himself before thrusting after Miley, the mouse dangling from his jaws.

He cocked back his head, slacking his jaw and sending the purple toy flying. "Yes I will!" He exclaimed, stopping in his pawsteps to watch the toy fly through the air. It missed Miley by a whisker's length, and the she-cat let out a joyous yowl. Miley streaked forward, her red tabby tail streaming behind her. She dove through a flap in a glass door, a sudden whisk of wind rushing through her fur as it flopped shut behind her.

The red tabby slowed her run to a trot, turning quickly around to peer through the glass door. Her paws pricked against the cold snow covered ground as she slowed to a halt, peering through the window to see what Harvey's reaction would be.

The large tom's tail swept angrily back and forth, and his jaws were parted in a frustrated yowl. A small twist of guilt tugged at Miley's heart, but she ignored it. She understood how afraid her friend was if the outside, and he obviously disliked the fact that she used it against him. She pushed away the guilt and waved her tail teasingly at Harvey, a smile parted into her jaws.

Harvey's ears flattened, and he spun around to march away. Miley's head inclined lightly to the side as she watched her friend disappear into the far corners of the den, blinking for just a moment. She shook out her fur, and turned around, padding across the snow covered yard and to the fence that towered above her. She wriggled her haunches, and thrust herself up, her claws digging ungracefully into the wooden sides. Her hind paws scrabbled against the wood as she hauled herself up, her tail lashing as she fought for balance. The wood shook lightly and a small spray of snow tumbled down onto her nose, until finally, her fighting eased, and she crouched at the top of the fence for a few lasting moments.

Miley breathed in a deep breath, her eyes turning to slits as she relaxed. The crispy, cold air jabbed at her lungs as she inhaled it, little puffs of evaporated liquid billowing from her mouth whenever she exhaled. Some time passed, and a warm, delicious scent reached her nose. Her eyes grew round as she recognized what it was, her mouth watering in excitement to sink her teeth into it.

A mouse!

She leaped down from the fence, her paws lightly crunching in the snow. She padded confidently forward, her tail raised into the air behind her. Finally, she spotted the creature, its narrow nose was lowered to its tiny pink paws, nibbling hungrily at a seed. Miley strutted forward, and the mouse sat up, alarmed. It darted across her path, and she lunged towards it, grasping its slim tail between her claws. She yanked it towards her, the tiny creature squirming and squeaking in terror as it fought to escape. It's struggles catching the kittypet by surprise, Miley reared back, her eyes round in shock as the mouse scampered away.

"Why'd it escape?" She cried, her ears swiveling back to pin against her head.

Suddenly, black flickered at the corners of her vision, and her gaze darted towards it, revealing a black and white tom creeping forward, chuckling lightly. Miley instinctively shrank back, a hiss escaping her lips. The tom raised his tail in submission, his head tilted to the side while he still chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" Miley snapped, her tail lashing.

The tom stiffened for a moment, his jaws squeezing shut. Finally, he answered, hesitance to his voice. "That was hilarious." He admitted, smirking at Miley as she blinked, dumbfounded.

"What was hilarious?" Miley demanded, standing straight now and blinking at the tom in frustration.

His whiskers quivered in amusement. He was obviously enjoying seeing Miley's frustration. "Your failure." He replied simply, his black and white tail trailing joyously from side to side.

Miley's jaw dropped. "My failure?" She repeated, instantly realizing that the tom was referring to her failed hunt. "That mouse tried to escape! It's not my fault!"

The tom exploded into bursts of laughter, his sides heaving as he did so. "Goodness, you mousebrain!" He laughed. "Of course the mouse tried to run away. If something were trying to kill you, wouldn't you run?"

Miley hesitated, her brow furrowing even further. "Fine." She snapped, her muzzle curling back. "You're right, and I'm wrong. Happy?" She twitched an ear, frustration boiling in her chest.

The tom recoiled, his eyes glittering in a mixture of shock and confusion. "Wow. Who put thorns in your nest?" He huffed, the fur prickling along his spine.

Miley blinked. How would you fill a twoleg nest with thorns? She wondered. Her thoughts were diverted to a thorn covered home, and it did not look pleasing. She was snapped out of her thoughts when the black and white tom swatted a paw into the air, growling.

"Hello? Stupid cat? Are you in there?"

Miley shook out her fur, jumping back just in time to avoid his swinging paw. She hissed at him, and he hissed back.

A call rang through the air, and Miley perked up as she recognized the twoleg's voice as one of her housefolk. She glanced back at the tom, her tail twitching. "I'd better go now." She growled, her eyes narrowed as she slunk past the strange cat.

The tom froze, his eyelids lowering until his eyes were slits. "You're a kittypet?" He snarled. "That explains it. Go run off to your twolegs, housecat! You'll never catch a mouse, you hear me? Never!" Miley spun around to snap at the tom, but before she could, he had lashed out at her. The red tabby yelped, and she swung herself forward before the tom's claws could rip through her fur.

The tom bared his teeth at her, and quickly Miley streaked towards her yard, her tail streaming behind her as she jumped onto the fence. She cast a glance behind her to see that the tom had vanished, his scent lingering in the air. She stood there for a moment, catching her breath and allowing her eyes to scan the landscape for any further signs of the cat even being present, but to no avail. She breathed a sigh, her fur laying flat as she collected herself.

***

"What took you so long?"

Miley brushed past Harvey with a short growl, her fur tangled and clumped as she entered through the flap.

"Miley, tell me!" The brown tom pressed, striding alongside Miley as he begged her for answers.

Miley huffed, making her way towards a tin bowl in a few long bounds. "No." she replied, glancing at Harvey once more before bowing her head to lap up some brown pellets, the dry food crunching between her teeth.

Harvey gave a small purr, nudging her side with his nose. "Why not? You know you can tell me anything! Besides, you smell of another cat."

"Are you seeing a tom?" He teased. His whiskers twitched in amusement, but there was also a sad look in his eyes.

Miley snorted, nearly choking on her food as she did so. "Are you kidding me?" She burst out, her tail whipping through the air. "Why would I? I have no romantic interests." She glanced at Harvey with a small frown. "I'm going to eat now." She finally said, chewing at her food without any further word.

Harvey's tail dropped against the ground, his eyes lowering lightly in frustration to his friend's lack of answers. He flicked the tip of his tail, before turning around and padding away.

Miley shot a look back in his direction, only to see that he had vanished from sight. She shrugged, and resumed eating, the only sound that filled the home was the noise of hard twoleg given food crunching between her teeth.