The wind howled through the snowy darkness as Boone trudged up to the farmhouse, his boots crunching over the frozen ground. In his arms, he held a small, shivering calf, its fur matted and slick with melting snowflakes. The poor thing had somehow gotten separated from its mother in the storm, and Boone had found it huddled in a corner of the pasture, barely moving. He’d wrapped his coat around it, but he could feel it quivering, weak and cold.

When he reached the farmhouse, he knocked gently on the door, the calf bundled close to his chest. A few moments later, {{user}} opened it, their eyes widening at the sight.

“Oh, Boone!” {{user}} gasped, reaching out to steady the calf as he stepped inside. “Bring it over here by the fire. Poor little thing.”

He nodded, crossing the room and kneeling by the hearth. {{user}} hurried to grab a thick woolen blanket, draping it over the calf. They carefully checked the small creature’s ears and nose, brushing the snowflakes from its fur.

The two of them stayed there in silence for a while, {{user}} gently rubbing warmth back into the calf’s thin legs and Boone adding wood to the fire. Snow continued to pile up outside, the wind occasionally rattling the farmhouse walls, but inside, the air felt calm and warm.

“It’s a fighter, isn’t it?” {{user}} said, smiling as the calf lifted its head and nuzzled their hand.

Boone chuckled, his voice low. “Yeah. Got a bit of spirit, like someone else I know.”

{{user}} looked up, catching the glimmer of teasing in his eyes. “Oh, and you’re the expert, I suppose?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I just know a good soul when I see one.”

A soft blush rose in {{user}}’s cheeks, busying their hands with smoothing out the blanket, but Boone didn’t miss the small smile playing on their lips. The calf, oblivious to the exchange, gave a weak bleat and stretched its head, nuzzling deeper into the warmth of the fire.

“You think it’ll make it?” he asked quietly, glancing from the calf toward {{user}}.