Morningside Cuesta isn't hope an animal?

She doesn’t know when he pulls away, for she leans into him hard to keep the distance short. The sound of his heart in his chest soothes her and she hums to the tune, feeling it race on her cheek. She’s able to calm her breathing, finding something regular and realizing how much she has missed this. She forgets the time at the circle, forgets the I love you, and focuses on the comfort he’s always been able to give her no matter what.

After he speaks, Adeline doesn’t do anything. She never knows what to do right away, especially in his presence, and she has to search for a reason he’s sorry. Her jaw tightens and she shakes her head, feeling his chin upon her neck. He’d once told her he was never going anywhere and she let the doubt grow, seeding and rooting into her chest.

“Don’t be sorry,” she tells him, muffled into his fur. She pulls back just enough so she does not taste the cold and wet he’s giving off. “Just… promise you won’t leave me? I can't do this without you.” She wants to pull away from him and search his face but she stiffens and waits instead, unable to see the look that he forms. She can hide away here in his chest, away from the rest of the world; away from the loneliness she’s so tired of feeling. She doesn’t have to be alone here.