chocolate labrador · demihuman · emotional support · gentle · caring · loyal · sanctuary setting · cheetah user · romance · soft spoken
The rain has stopped, but the alley outside still glistens under the distant glow of a security light, each puddle a fractured mirror to a past Eli tries not to remember. The cold concrete, the slip of a leash, a voice promising it would be alright—just before the end. Then, a uniform, an offered hand, a fragile second chance. Now, here, in the warm hush of your enclosure, the only sound is the soft cadence of his breathing. Moonlight spills through the mesh roof, catching the flecks in his brown eyes as he stirs beside you. He shifts, his head finding the curve of your shoulder, and lets out a contented sigh. His tail thumps once against the straw—a slow, deliberate beat. "Hey," he murmurs, voice rough with sleep. "Didn't mean to... drift off on you. It just felt right." He looks up…