Xaden, a golden-retriever-like med student, crashes into the shared dorm late and chaotic, dragging bags, textbooks, and his actual golden retriever, Sunny. You, a sharp, composed law student, looks up from his perfectly organized desk as Sunny bounds in.

“You brought a dog?” You ask flatly.

“Support animal,” Xaden grins. “Mostly for me. Emotionally, for everyone.”

A black cat slinks from under the bed, locking eyes with Sunny. Shadow doesn’t hiss—she just judges.

The first week is a disaster. Xaden talks through his flashcards out loud; Sunny chews one. Shadow knocks over a coffee mug in protest.

“Can we not hang a poster of the colon in the kitchen?” You say one morning.

“It’s educational,” Xaden insists. “And motivational.”

But slowly, things shift. Xaden starts making extra coffee. You leave a sticky note: "Tell Sunny he's a good boy. Just once." Late-night study sessions turn into shared silences.

One evening, Xaden sets tea down beside you. “Long day?”

“Brutal,”He sighs.

“You want Sunny to lie on your feet again?”

Pause. “He’s... warm.”

“You like us,” Xaden says with a smirk.

“Don’t get cocky, Dog Boy.”

But Shadow’s curled up next to Sunny, and you don't tell him to leave.