I slowly cracked open my eyes when I could no longer convince my body to remain asleep and closed my eyelids against the sunlight streaming through the window, shining brightly through the blinds. After forcing myself to open my eyes again, I stretched, loosening up my muscles that were a bit cramped from sleeping, curled up in a ball next to my favorite female. Speaking of, I wonder if she's awake.

After stretching a little more, I stood up and softly padded across the bed towards the soft things people like to lay their head on when they sleep. Once there, I placed my front two paws on her shoulders as I looked down and saw her sleeping, a happy look on her face. She must be dreaming of him again. Or maybe catnip? Wait, do humans like catnip? Probably not otherwise they wouldn't give that to us cats huh?

My ears perked up though as I heard the lock of the front door move. I scurried across the bed to jump down and gracefully landed on my four paws, not pausing as I ran into the hall and down it just in time to see him close the front door behind him. He immediately spotted me and squatted down, running his hand a few times over the top of my head before he stood back up and took a bag into the room where all the heat and smells come from when they eat their human food. I began to purr more as he approached me and picked me up in his arms, cradling me in his right arm while his left hand gently ran over the top of my head and down my neck to my upper back a few times before he started moving towards her room. We continued to move towards the bed until he stopped on her side of the bed, a smile on his face as he gazed down at her sleeping while I looked up at him.

"Sweet Brie, always an angel when she sleeps and when she's awake," he murmured quietly before he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, setting me down on the bed again as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

I walked over her legs and sat in an upright position, curling my tail around to the right of my hind legs while I straightened out my front legs so I could watch them together. That soft smile on his lips as he gazes down at her reminds me of the smile she always has for him when she's even just looking at his picture.

As he continued to watch her, my mind began to think back to last weekend when I wasn't so happy with him, my usually favorite male. It was during the early morning after a night when he spent the night in our bed, snoring as usual.

I awoke to the sound of heavy breathing coming from the guest in our bed and narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if he would shut up if I woke him up with the sharp end of my claws. Best not, she wouldn't be happy with me at all for that. I placed my head back down on my front paws and closed my eyes, drifting back to sleep only to be woken up a little later, a heavy weight on most of my body.

"MEOW!" I screamed as pain spread through my furry body.

"What the… Troy, get up! You're on Miles!" screamed Gabriella as she realized quickly that my head was poking out from under his back. "Troy!"

"Umph," he groaned, not moving.

"MEOW, MEOW!" I called out, desperately trying to get out from under the dead weight.

She immediately saw my struggle and helped by rolling him over as she scooped me up in her arms, cradling me against her chest. "Oh Miles, are you all right?"

"Meow," I returned before I showed my real appreciation for her saving me by rubbing the top of my head up against her chin, hearing her giggle a little. My purr though seemed to make her smile as we both heard him continue to snore as if he hadn't almost killed me.

"It's all right Miles, you can sleep on the edge of the bed away from big bad Troy," promised Gabriella in a cutesy voice before putting me back down on her side of the bed before we both fell back to sleep.

I stared back at him as he leaned down once again to kiss her, this time on the lips, and shook my little head at him. I bet he didn't even realize he squashed me that night either, just as he doesn't every other night he has done it.

He looked up at me just then and did that thing with his eye that he does every so often, closing one eyelid while keeping his other eye open, while he looked at me. Before I could do anything, he picked me back up and carried me into the food room again where he placed me on the ledge that was over the sink. He washed his hands before he started pulling things out of the bag he brought with him. I still don't understand why humans just don't lick themselves like we do. Ooo, speaking of, I haven't washed my back paws in a while.

He continued to move around the room, turning on the heat producing thing with a twist of something before he placed a saucer on it and a bowl next to that. I felt the heat immediately as I saw things shoot out from the heat thing, licking the bottom of the saucer and bowl while I continued to clean myself, satisfied a little while later that I was refreshed. With nothing else to do, I sat back up and followed him around the room with my eyes, seeing him prepare what looked like more human food again with his hands, using the saucer and bowl every now and then. While I watched him continue to make their food, a memory of a very bad experience of him making food popped into my head that took place about two years ago, some time after she told me that I had turned one year old or something like that.

I sat, curled up in her lap while she absently petted me from where she was sitting on the counter in the food room, both of us entranced with what he was doing. "Are you sure you've got it under control Troy?" asked Gabriella as she nervously watched him try to use that sharp tool with some food on a special board the tool is always used with. "I can help you know."

He looked back at her and gave her a smirk. "Please, I can totally do this. Just sit back and keep petting Miles. He needs some love, I think he thinks I'm stealing you away from him or something. Miles hasn't really purred or approached me lately."

"Well we did leave him behind for a week with Chad when we went to Cabo," she returned, running her hand down my spine, sending shivers through my body. "And that's probably why Miles is upset at you since you were the one that dropped him off and picked him up. What did Chad do to our poor kitty?"

Troy chuckled as he continued using the sharp tool, making even me nervous as I watched his hand get close to the sharpness. "Nothing, honest. But you know how Chad is, he probably didn't play with Miles very much as they both don't seem to really get along. Ever since Miles jumped into Chad's afro when Miles was only a few months old it's been a love hate relationship with the two. Chad still swears he has scars on his scalp from Miles' claws."

"Troy, watch what you are doing!" called out Gabriella just as I saw the sharp tool almost slice into Troy's hand at the same time the bowl on the heat thing started bubbling over with some hot looking liquid and the saucer started having flames on it similar to what was underneath it.

Before I knew it, I was dropped, thanking my maker that I landed on my paws, as I anxiously watched as both of them worked together to put out the flames and stop the spill from the bowl. "Sorry!" called out Troy as he rubbed the back of his neck, a sign I recognized as him feeling nervous.

She shook her head at him, a serious look on her face, before she broke out into a small smile and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. "Why don't we go and get dinner? I'd rather you not lose a finger in trying to impress me with your cooking skills. The food is burned and inedible but I appreciate your effort babe. It was a sweet thought to try to cook for me."

"You're just saying that," he accused.

"No, I mean it. The effort means more than the actual outcome to me," replied Gabriella with a smile.

I watched as he grinned back at her before their lips met again, a sight I was already all too familiar with. Instead of watching more, I walked over to my bowls and started drinking the liquid there, feeling it cool my body against the heat of the room. When I turned back around, I just saw the door that led to the room with the bed close softly behind them and knew then that it would be a night up in my padded room on top of that tall padded thing again.

Suddenly, a dark sharp smell entered my nostrils and I came back to reality only to see something dark moving in the air above the slotted thing on the counter. Instincts kicked in and I started warning him the only way I could.

"MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!" I screamed, relieved when he looked back and saw me looking at the awful smelling thing.

"Shit, the toast! I told her we needed to get her a new one, it always gets stuck like that," cursed Troy as he popped the food out of the thing and tossed it. He waved his hand over the slotted thing to get rid of the darkness before he turned his attention back to me. "You always have my back Miles, thanks. Oh, and I know it's Gabriella's birthday today but I got you a present too buddy."

Nothing he said made sense to me until he picked me up and put me on the floor again before he rummaged through the bag. My nose instantly picked up the scent as soon as he pulled it out, the memory of him squashing me in his sleep leaving my mind as he placed it in front of me. CATNIP!

I heard him chuckling as I went right after it, grabbing the soft material between my paws as I naturally started to lick at it, rubbing my head against it. Laugh all you want human, you don't know what you're missing!

By the time I got my fill from the treat, I turned my head and started trying to focus on him again, my vision a bit fuzzier than before but my mood much happier. I used my front paws to scoot the catnip away from the main floor before I stopped to watch him move food from the saucer and bowl to the flat things they eat off of. I still don't understand why they don't eat out of bowls like I do. So much easier!

When he was done, he rubbed his hands on the sides of his legs before he reached into the bag and pulled out some box. He opened it up and pulled out something that glistened and smiled at it before he approached me again, scooping me up and placing me on the ledge again. "You're going to be my present deliverer okay?"

I just stared at him for a little while as he put whatever it was around my neck, adjusting it a bit before he walked away from me again to pick up those flat things with food on it, trying to understand what he wanted me to do. He put them on another flat thing that had clear things with liquid in them before he looked back at me. "Come on Miles, let's go wake up Brie."

As I watched him walk to the room where she still was, I realized he wanted me to follow him so I jumped down from the ledge to the counter and then the floor, running after him into the room.

"Happy 26th birthday Gabriella," greeted Troy as he set the tray down on the nightstand. "Time to wake up gorgeous."

"Mmm, don't wanna," complained Gabriella as she rolled onto her other side.

I decided to help and jumped onto the bed, purring as loud as I could. After she failed to stir again, I walked up to her face and began licking it, knowing how she often got up after this. "Miles!" she protested, finally opening her eyes at me but with a smile. "Silly kitty."

"Hey, where's the love for me who actually made you breakfast in bed for your birthday, even if it is more lunch because I let you sleep in?" whined Troy, as she continued to pet me while holding me in her arms.

"Aww, I'm sorry Troy. Will a kiss make it better?" she offered.

I turned my head away as their faces came closer to each other as I looked instead at the food sitting a few feet away, wondering what it was.

As if he read my mind, Troy stood up and grabbed one of the flat things with the food and brought it over to her. "Your favorites. Chocolate chip pancakes with extra crispy bacon and cheesy scrambled eggs," announced Troy. "And no, I didn't burn the kitchen down and I will clean up after we eat, don't worry."

I heard her laugh at this and decided to scoot off her lap to settle at the end of the bed as they got down to talking and eating. I settled my head down on my paws as I curled up, leaving my ears open while I closed my eyes, hearing words like "love" and "kiss" and "best boyfriend" come from them among others. Without realizing it, I dozed off again only to be awakened by him calling my name.

"Miles, come here kitty," called out Troy for the fifth time, waking me up. I stared at him the best way I knew how to let him know I wasn't pleased with him waking me but remembered the thing he had put around my neck. Dutifully, I approached and stopped in between the two, hearing a sharp intake of breath as Gabriella saw what was around my neck.

"Troy, you shouldn't have!" got out Gabriella as she gently took whatever it was off my neck. "This must have cost a fortune!"

I peeked my head over her hands and saw some things shine off the circle and turned my head to look at him as he scooted closer. "Don't worry about it. You're another year older so I had to reward you with something beautiful. Your birthstone, the diamond, and the blue sapphires to remind you of me when you look at it. I also know you love white gold jewelry. Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding? Troy, I love it!" exclaimed Gabriella, giving me barely enough time to back away from in between them as they embraced and started kissing again. I sat down again on my spot on the bed and started cleaning myself again until they ended up laying down next to where I was sitting, clearly oblivious that I was there. They continued touching each other and I knew that it was time to leave before I got squashed or something else happened so I got up and jumped off the bed, trying to close my ears against the noises they were making. Wanting to get as far away as possible, I climbed up to my cushioned room and perched there, spending the time watching things move outside while I tried to ignore the louder noises coming from the room I left them in.

I resisted the urge to stuff my paws over my already folded ears as laughter and more noises continued to come from the room. Seriously, they fix me but it's okay for them? Rude much!

In an effort to try to distract myself, I bopped my favorite mouse toy around between my paws, only to stop when all became quiet again. I sighed in relief just as the noises resumed and got louder as it triggered a memory of my first time walking in on them when I was fairly young and she still called me kitten, not kitty.

My eyes shot open at the sudden voices and noises that reverberated off the walls and continued to get louder as time passed. I heard her scream in such a way that my instincts told me she was in trouble so I bolted into the room and saw him on top of her. Without a second thought, I jumped on the bed and landed on his back, digging my claws in.

"Oww!" he screamed before Troy turned his attention on me. "Miles, get off! What was that for?"

I backed off him but instead stood next to her on the bed, arching my back and hissing, showing him I would defend her against him if he attacked her again.

"Whoa, Miles, what's gotten into you?" he asked as his large hand came closer to me. I swatted at it and he withdrew his hand just in time so I missed.

Suddenly, I felt a calming and familiar hand on my rigid back. When I whipped my head around, I felt my eyes become less focused and my body relax as she smiled at me, softly stroking my back, convincing the hairs standing up to go back down. She must have felt the change as she shot him a look before sitting up and pulling me onto her lap. "Aww, are you okay Miles?"

"Him? I'm probably the one bleeding on my back from his scratches," complained Troy as he placed a hand behind him before bringing it back in front to see some liquid now on his hand. "Stupid kitten, I am bleeding!"

I watched as he turned around and showed her the claw marks I left on his back from my attack. "Oh Troy, it isn't too bad. They aren't bleeding too much but let's get those cleaned," she said, getting up and carrying me with her while he followed. She placed me on the counter and I sat down there as she got some things from a ledge and began to apply them to his deeper cuts. Afraid he would hurt her again I hissed but stopped as she looked at me, giving me the look that she always gave when she meant she was unhappy with me.

"What is his problem Brie?" asked Troy as he waited for her to finish doing whatever she was doing to his cuts.

Gabriella finished with the cuts before she looked at me again. She gave me a smile and petted my head before she spoke again. "I think Miles thought you were hurting me. He must have heard our moans and voices and thought I was in trouble or something. Look at how it probably looked like to the poor kitten. It's sweet he defended me."

He rolled his eyes before he shrugged. "I guess so. Just don't do it again Miles unless it isn't me, you hear me? Gabriella likes it when I do those things to her," he promised, daring to put his face closer to mine as he looked me directly in the eyes.

"Troy! Miles is a kitten and doesn't need to hear about all that!" protested Gabriella, hitting him on the arm. "And you know there is no one else."

"Better not be," he replied with a smirk. "All right Miles, I forgive you for the cuts if you forgive me for getting angry at you, seeing you are an innocent little creature and didn't know better, that is if Gabriella is right."

"Which I am," added Gabriella with a smile.

He turned his head to look at her, doing that one eyelid closing thing again, before he looked back at me. "Are we good Miles?"

I looked back at both of them and felt relaxed once again as they smiled back at me, showing me that everything was okay, that there was no fight or danger. I focused on him again though and let out a little purr, my form of an olive branch for striking him earlier.

He chuckled as he cautiously picked me up and petted me. "All right little guy, back to your own bed."

I turned in his hold as we began to leave the room and saw her sitting back on the bed, smiling at us, over his shoulder. It was then that I realized that whatever they were doing was okay with her and I made a mental note to leave them alone whenever I heard that sound again.

I refocused on the present as I heard one last murmur from the room before silence. And there have been plenty of noises and sounds to block out since then too.

Feeling it was safe now, I climbed down the post halfway before I jumped from the platform below my padded place to perch. I felt my stomach grumble a little so I made my way to the food room and stuck my head into my dry food bowl, eating what I could before drinking from my water bowl and then eating some more. I sat back and licked my mouth area once I felt full enough, leaning forward to allow my right hind leg scratch my back where I felt an itch. Enjoying the silence, I padded around the place before peeking into the room with the bed. Before long I heard his quiet snore and knew that more than likely they were sleeping again. Not having anything else to do, I walked over and jumped onto my favorite window ledge to get a better view of outside. I sat up straight as I saw one of those small flying animals go by the window before he stopped on the ledge outside. I sensed a silent challenge as the bird looked at me back so I jumped down and quickly made my way to the glass doors, happy that my special door was unlocked as I tested it first before going through the flap just as the creature flew away. That's right my feathered friend, I can get outside too.

We watched each other for a few moments before he eventually flew away with his buddies. I felt myself sigh at this thought, realizing that I missed my siblings still, that companionship we shared before he came and picked me up and took me away from them at the shelter.

Tumbling over each other, my only brother in the litter and I continued to wrestle to pass the time, one of our favorite things to do, while our sisters continued to clean themselves or whine at us to stop. We had been brought to this new place with cold metal all around some time ago and were together in one place while our mother was allowed to visit every so often for meals. It had surprised us when one of our sisters had been taken from us and never returned, leaving four of the five of us there. Confused as to what happened, we cried and cried until a human came by and murmured sympathetically at us, something about how our sister was adopted, whatever that meant.

I kept wrestling with my brother, determined to win this round, so focused on keeping him pinned that I didn't see two humans watching us. "I'll take the black and gray striped tabby with the white paws. My girlfriend is going to love him," said a voice I had never heard before. I was distracted and lifted my head up only to meet the human's eyes that were filled with kindness with a smile on his face.

Before my brother could tackle me again, the door was opened and a pair of hands scooped me off of him, leaving me crying from the lack of contact with him. I was handed over to the male who would take me to meet the female I lived with later on in the day. He instantly started petting me and I found my tiny meowing had turned into purring as I bumped my head against his palm a little and heard his chuckle for the first time. "Yes, Gabriella is going to love you for sure little buddy."

I glanced back at my siblings and my mother one last time as he started walking and took me out of the room, seeming to feel my distress as he started petting me more. "Meow," I got out, hearing how sad I sounded even to my own ears.

"I know buddy but I can't take any more of your siblings out of here. I promise you though that you are going to someone who will care for you and love you to pieces, quite possibly more than she loves me," murmured Troy with a grin as he held me up in his hands so that I was looking down into his face.

After being placed in a plastic box and a metal gate, it was some time before I felt movement and was placed down again. I meowed for a while as I got more and more nervous as to where we were going, grateful for the pats he would give me randomly while he wasn't focused on whatever he was doing. When the movement stopped, he got out and then picked me up in the box, setting it down again to let me out. I gratefully galloped out on the soft ground, stumbling a little as my claws got snagged on it until he stopped me with one of his hands. I turned my head to look at him and saw that smile on his face. Curious, I sat and looked at him only to have him take out some material and tie it quickly, but loosely, around my neck.

"Not that bad of a bow but that will have to do," he murmured before he picked me back up and put me in another box, this one being completely dark except for some holes in the sides after he covered it up.

"Meow, meow," I cried, only to hear a gentle shushing from him as a loud sound was heard before we started moving again.

"Brie, are you home?" he called out after some more loud noises. I tried to not jostle around too much but found it hard to stabilize myself anywhere as the box kept getting turned one way or another.

"I'm in the living room, watching some TV!" a female voice called out.

"I've got your birthday present!" he announced as the box finally stopped moving as he probably put it down. "Guess what it is!"

There was silence for a few moments before she screamed. "You finally got me a kitten didn't you!"

I heard his laughter moments before the top was ripped off and I gazed back at the female I would come to know as my constant companion and my favorite female. "He's so adorable!" she squealed, immediately scooping me up and hugging me to her chest.

I returned the favor and rubbed the top of my head against her chin, purring to let her know I liked her too. "And he is just as taken with you as I am," he murmured as he leaned down and captured her lips with his. "Happy 23rd birthday Brie."

"Thank you," she returned, hugging me tightly to her while she kissed him back.

"Ah, there you are Miles," she said, breaking me out of my memory. "Looking at the birds again huh?"

"Meow," I answer, kicking myself for forgetting the name of those feathered creatures. Birds you idiot, that's what they are called.

She smiled at me before she picked me back up, rubbing my chin with her finger as we walked back inside the place.

"Was he outside enjoying the view again?" he asked as he took a seat next to me and her.

She nodded while she ran her hand along my back again. "Miles is probably the sweetest and nicest present you've ever given me Troy. Don't get me wrong, I love the bracelet you gave me today, and it will always remind me of you when I look at it, but Miles is so special because he is his own being yet constantly reminds me of you, keeps me company while you're gone playing basketball with your team, making me feel like you're still here through him."

I looked back at him and saw a bigger smile on his face as he caressed her cheek. "Well that's good, I chose wisely three years ago but I do have one last piece of your present. Okay, it's not really a birthday present but something I want to give you."

A confused look appeared on her face and I myself grew anxious as I looked at him and her, back and forth, until I saw him sink to the ground, on one of his knees, my confusion growing, especially seeing the shocked and yet happy look on her face. "Troy?"

When I looked back at him from her lap, I saw him do that weird eye thing at me again with his eyelid before he focused again on my favorite female. "Gabriella Montez, we've been together ever since Sharpay and Ryan Evans hooked us up in college that one crazy night at the sorority house you and Sharpay belonged to, along with Taylor McKessie. That's a little more than a year before I gave you Miles, which means that has been over four wonderful years of being together. You mentioned how you love Miles because of him being, well him but how he always gives you the feeling of me being there for you when I'm not. Well, I want to give you something that will symbolize my promise to you that my heart will also always remain with you, no matter where I go. Ever since you passed out in my arms drunk that night I've been yours and I think you have been mine too. I love you Brie. Will you marry me?"

My eyes grew wide as I heard a loud squeal come from her, standing up quickly as I looked at her panicked, feeling a bit more confused as she smiled brightly back at him. "YES! I love you too Troy!"

I felt her move from under my paws just before I got sandwiched between them. "MEOW!" I let out, frustrated that even as grown as I was that I was still getting squished between them.

I heard them both laugh as they pulled away, both sheepishly looking down at me. "Sorry Miles," apologized Troy as he scratched me behind my ears and sat back down on the couch next to us, instantly wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling us both closer to him. "One day soon we'll be one big happy family, the three of us."

"Mmmhmm," agreed Gabriella, a permanent smile on her face but her eyes looking at something else other than him. I followed her gaze and saw the new addition to her hand. Slowly, I crept forward and looked at the three colorless things shining from the light above that were round and sitting on some type of metal or something also shiny. I cocked my head to the side as I looked at it and heard her giggle, causing me to look at her again. "Trying to figure out what the commotion was about huh Miles?"

Not knowing what else to do I stared back at her, waiting for her to continue.

She picked me up and settled me on both of their laps while I looked back at them as they leaned their heads together as they both gazed back at me. "Troy and I are getting married and eventually you'll have this big guy around all the time, sharing in our bed. I promise I won't let him squish you every night though."

I let out an approving meow that caused her to laugh and for him to give her a puzzled expression. "Brie, do you actually think he understands you and this concept of marriage?"

She thought for a moment before nodding her head. "He's a smart feline and we have this communication that doesn't even have to be verbal to understand each other. I think he loves you too but definitely not as much as I do."

"Aww, now that's what I love to hear," he murmured before I watched them kiss again, and again, and again.

After a while, I just curled up in that spot and allowed myself to fall asleep, feeling happy and content to be with both of them who cared for me just as they cared for each other, albeit it was a different type of connection but one nonetheless. As I drifted off, I heard one last bit from him.

"One big yet small happy family Brie. You, me, and Miles here who is happily drifting off into his cat dreams. Hopefully tonight will also be a nice furry memory for him as it certainly will be one I treasure for the rest of our lives together. Happy 26th birthday love!" he exclaimed before he kissed her once again.

Nope, I didn't see that one but I didn't have to in order to know that they kissed. I know these two too well to know the behavior that followed that type of talk. What I learned today though, on her 26th birthday, is that our futures would be happier going forward simply because they loved each other and cared for me while I cared for them too, just as any little family should. And that's all a little cat can wish for, even if it wasn't my own birthday.