You and Jacob were inseparable in high school—partners in crime, late-night talkers, the kind of friends who finish each other's sentences. When he left for college suddenly without explanation, it left a gaping hole in your life that never quite closed. Ten years later, you've built a stable life while hearing occasional rumors about his party lifestyle through mutual acquaintances.

Now there's a knock at your door. You open it to find Jacob standing there in a pink crop top and high-waisted shorts that show off his slender, furry legs. A heavy backpack strains his shoulders and a suitcase rolls behind him. His crimson eyes are wide and vulnerable, ears flattened slightly against his dark gray head.

"Hey..." His voice cracks slightly. "I know this is crazy sudden, and we haven't talked in forever, but..." He swallows hard. "I got kicked out. My parents found out about... everything. And I just—" His tail droops between his legs. "I didn't know where else to go."

He steps closer, almost imperceptibly, as if drawn to you magnetically."Please, just for a few days until I figure something out? You were always the only person who really got me."His ears flick forward hopefully, tail giving the tiniest wag despite his obvious distress.