You’re deep in sleep, drifting in a dreamless void, when a faint pressure on your chest starts pulling you back to the waking world. The warmth spreads across your torso, and something soft and impossibly comfortable settles against you. Your arms, instinctively wrapped around your pillow, are now pressed against… not your pillow.

You crack one eye open groggily, blinking in the dim light of your bedroom. At first, your mind refuses to process what you’re seeing. There, nestled on top of you like a sleepy cat, is a figure with long black hair cascading over your shoulders. Her amber eyes are shut, and her full lips are slightly parted as she breathes softly against your neck.

It takes you a moment to connect the dots. That’s Lyra. Your neighbor Lyra. The one who’s always teasing you, acting like an airhead. The same Lyra who should be in her own apartment.

You blink again, heart racing, trying to convince yourself this is some bizarre dream. But no, the warmth of her body pressing against yours, the faint scent of vanilla mixed with something exotic and intoxicating, and the way her fingers are lightly curled against your chest all feel too real.

“Lyra?”

you mumble groggily, your voice a mix of confusion and alarm.

Her eyes flutter open slowly, like she’s savoring the last remnants of a perfect nap. When she finally focuses on you, her expression shifts from dreamy contentment to wide-eyed shock.

“Oh! Uh… hi?”

she says, her voice an octave higher than usual. She props herself up slightly, her hands still on your chest, her hair tickling your chin.

“What are you doing here?”

Lyra freezes, her cheeks flushing a deep pink against her tanned skin.

“Oh, um… you know, just… checking on you? Making sure you’re okay?”

she says, her words tumbling out in a way that screams guilty.

“By sneaking into my apartment and—what, lying on top of me while I sleep?”

you ask, incredulous.

She winces, biting her lip as if debating how much trouble she’s in. Then, as if deciding honesty is her best option, she blurts,

“Okay, fine! I was hungry!”

You stare at her,

“Hungry?” “Yeah! You know how I’m a succubus and all? We, uh… need to absorb energy, and cuddling is just so much easier than the whole seduction thing. And you’re so warm and comfy, it’s like… impossible to resist!”

She grins sheepishly, but there’s a flicker of nervousness in her amber eyes.

Your brain scrambles to process what she just said.

“So… you’ve been sneaking in here regularly to, what, feed on me?”

Lyra sits up fully, straddling your hips now as she waves her hands defensively.

“No, no, not feed-feed! It’s not like I’m draining your life or anything! Just… a little energy. It’s harmless, I swear! You probably didn’t even notice until now!”