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It is most certainly not how he thought he’d spend his golden youth years. Granted, his friends loved to joke that he was already past his prime and still chasing the fluffiest tail around, but then again, so were they.
Thomas O’Malley was a cat of the world: always hopping from place to place, discovering new haunts (and kittens) and never staying too long in one place. Even his pad was usually more for his friends’ use than his. He couldn’t help it: there was a whole lot of world to see, and even his seven lives weren’t quite enough.
To think he was now a family cat… it was surprising even to him.
Positively hilarious to everyone else who knew him, of course. He was still getting weekly visits from far-away friends who made sure to come all the way to the mansion just to see the new and transformed O’Malley.
It was a huge transformation, most of them said.
A transformation, but not that big, as he was still that good ol’ rascal at heart, his closest friends said.
And not quite a transformation but a… new experience, according to Duchess.
He quite agreed with that.
Then again, it was difficult to find flaws in his wife’s (wife, imagine! Him!) arguments. Not only did those beautiful sapphire eyes hypnotize him enough to forget his own name or tail, but the kitten’s arguments were always sound.
How wonderfully incredible that a kitten such as Duchess saw something in him.
Sure, Thomas knew his fair share of kittens. But Duchess was one of a kind.
It wasn’t just her noble and elegant bearing — as Thomas had seen quite a few high-bred kittens, all so stuck up and haughty — but the kitten had this calm and radiance about her. No wonder she struck him as soon as he saw her, so long ago (but not quite) on that fair spring day. Covered in petals in the middle of nowhere or adorned with diamonds at her Parisian mansion, Duchess was always regal. There was an elegance and nobleness of spirit in her that nothing could take away from her.
She was eye-catching from the very first second.
“Now, dear Thomas,” That silken meow made him focus on the moment. “You look quite dashing.”
He smiled so wide it made him feel like a newborn. Duchess had that effect on him. Every little thing or comment seemed like the sweetest of honey.
An approval from Duchess meant more than any of his adventures from the past.
“Why thank you, darling.” He tried to appear charming and draw a bit of that elegance into himself.
By the look of her frown, he failed in that regard. But her beautiful eyes twinkled, so he knew it wasn’t a total strikeout there.
As much as he tried to be just a bit fancier, strut just a little more adjusted and look a little less… well, a stray, it never quite worked. He just wasn’t drawn from the same noble cloth Duchess was.
She was always disappointed when he tried to do that, though. “Do not attempt to be something you are not, dearest. I fell for your charming ways, just as you were.”
He knew that to be true, especially considering how she still loved going on their own little adventures at night: run around some rooftops, dance with a little jazz (her new favorite music genre, she once stated proudly) and admire the beautiful cheese moon among the Parisian sky.
Thomas still wanted to try to look better. Be a bit better.
And not just for Duchess.
“Dad, how do I look??” A bundle of orange fur jumped up and down between them, so excited that his little ribbon was already slipping (and it had just been rearranged)! “Daaad!”
Dad.
Thomas felt his chest fill with pride every time he heard that word.
Before this sweet little family came to his life, that was a terrifying word. It meant the end of adventures. Settling down into a boring routine and being surrounded by kittens and responsibilities. Everything O’Malley was against.
And now, look at him.
It was his most favorite word in this whole wide world.
Not even the craziest nicknames his friends came up with or the sweet nothings from past lovers meant a thing compared to good ol’ “dad”.
With a paw, he gently patted Toulouse and rearranged his ribbon as best as he could. It was by now quite obvious it wouldn’t quite remain straight, but it was expected. Their human was fine with it, obviously much more experienced with the kittens than he was.
“Handsome as sin, my boy!” He smiled proudly, meaning every word. He was his boy, after all. And making sure to extend the same compliment, he turned immediately to Berlioz and added, “So do you, champ!”
Both kittens squealed with delight and jumped around him, competing for his attention. Duchess was chiding them to get into the spot; otherwise, they would waste the poor photographer’s time.
Little Marie got in between her brothers with a huff and made sure to pose right in front of Thomas, all smiles and sighs.
“What about me?” She asked in an expectant tone that Thomas would never disappoint.
“The most beautiful princess of them all.” He petted her the same — no favoritism with him, he was very adamant about it — and she sighed happily.
It was always rather sweet, though he knew once she was grown up, he would have to watch her like a hawk. He knew very well how tomcats were, having been one of the worst around, and absolutely no one was touching a single fur of her little girl.
Duchess smiled approvingly at him. Thomas felt like his heart was soaring.
He absolutely loved these little rapscallions. Hell, he’d risked his life, time and time again, for these young ones! And he would do it again and again.
Such a wonderful feeling was like the sweetest catnip, only so much better.
Three wonderful kittens and an incredible wife, far too good for him.
It was already their third family photo so far, and Thomas never quite got used to them. It was wonderful seeing the photos and having evidence they were indeed a family. But he always looked too much like a statue. The too-wide smile and trying too hard pose was completely unlike O’Malley the bachelor.
He really wanted to get one family photo just right. Where he was smiling calmly and confidently, just as Duchess usually was. Though even she was quite wooden at their very first family photo. It’d been a mystery then and one she’d only given him the solving puzzle quite recently.
“We never had a father, you see.” She said it as if it was a failure of her part, somehow.
As if she didn’t provide more than enough for her children. O’Malley would be sure to discuss more on that point later, at a time they were both alone and calmer. There was much to see there.
Duchess was a wonderful mother who did everything for her children. A beautiful kitten in her own right. And a loyal cat to her human, unlike any other.
Thomas would not be accepting any negative talk from Duchess.
And she did the same with him.
As lovely as their dates were and as much as their song-making was jazzy and fun, it was the little moments with Duchess that he adored. How they got to talk, really talk, about their lives and everything. She told him all about her past, how she’d grown with dear Adelaide and how her children were everything (and their father wasn’t). In turn, he told her all about his adventures, including the not quite fun ones. Especially when he was young and dumb. And how humans treated him awfully.
Duchess understood and accepted everything.
Just as he accepted all parts of her. And the wonderful kits.
To think of the daring, proud stray bachelor O’Malley became a house cat. It was still hilarious to so many of their friends.
Thomas, at first, cared a bit about their often too long and loud jokes about it. But soon enough, he stopped caring. For as nice as his old life had been, this new one was a dream come true. One he did not even know he yearned for.
The housecat was quite happy indeed. Being a husband and a father to three kits was the very best thing in his life.
It still surprised even him. Not only how much his life had changed — but how much he loved it.
And, catgod help him, he learned to love the human too. Miss Adelaide was unlike any human he’d ever met. She never hit him, threw things at him, or looked at him with utter contempt. Oh no, she adored cats. Even his friends, who came to visit from time to time, welcomed willingly. As badly behaved as they were, she loved every second of it. It was so strange to see humans such as her.
As much as he’d traveled all around, Thomas still had much to learn about the world.
“Don’t you miss our old adventures, O’Malley?” Scat Cat asked him once, after a long jazz session of a boy’s night out, out of breath after much playing.
Thomas could tell it was a serious question. His old friend was a bit worried, just wanting to make sure he was alright with the serious life change. If he regretted it, even a tiny bit.
The answer was so obvious, he didn’t miss a beat.
“I do. But this, Scat,” He turned his head in the direction of his home, far into the night, but still very visible.
The house where his family was waiting for him, excited to hear all about it. Duchess would be lying on Adelaide’s lap and humming along to a song. Toulouse would be painting his newest masterpiece yet while Berlioz concentrated on the piano. Marie would be fluffing herself in front of the mirror, trying to look the most ladylike possible, emulating her mother.
Thomas could not wait to get home.
“This is my best adventure yet.”