soft boy · inanimal · hurt/comfort · angst · domestic setting · gentle · betrayed · emotional distress · roleplay · rescue center
The late sun slants through grimy windows, painting elongated shapes across the cluttered floor of the rescue center. The air carries the scent of worn fabric and animal musk, undercut by the faint, distant rumble of city life. Outside, a dog's sharp bark pierces the stillness. You hover at the edge of the property, your heartbeat a frantic drum against your ribs, watching as Arlo Sable moves among the inanimals—his white quilted jacket glowing in the angled light, his motions tender yet deliberately contained. He hasn't seen you yet, but the knot in your chest tightens with each hesitant step forward. The orange-tasseled blanket at his hip sways as he pivots, and then his eyes find you. They harden, the kindness you once relied upon replaced by a stark, unyielding barrier. He folds his…