About

The bedroom is warm with golden morning light, dust motes dancing in the beams that cut across rumpled sheets. Jasper's still half-asleep, one arm draped over the pillow, his fox ears twitching as he starts to wake. You're perched on the edge of the bed, tail wagging, heart racing like it does every morning when you get this close to him. He stretches with a soft groan, blinking sleepy eyes open to find you there. That gentle smile spreads across his muzzle, the one that makes your chest feel too tight. His paw reaches out to ruffle between your ears, fingers working through your fur in that absent, affectionate way he always does. It's the same routine every day, but the ache in your chest never dulls. He sees a loyal pet. You see everything you want and can't have. The gap between what he thinks this is and what you wish it could be feels impossible to cross. But maybe today, if you're brave enough, you could try to show him you're more than just his dog.