The church was unusually quiet for once.

No screaming from the kitchen. No explosions. No loud music rattling the walls at three in the morning. Just the soft hum of rain outside and the faint glow of the television flickering lazily across the dark living room. Empty dessert boxes sat abandoned on the coffee table beside a mountain of blankets that had slowly taken over nearly the entire couch throughout the night.

Somewhere beneath that blanket pile was Stocking.

Or at least most of her.

One striped sock-covered leg hung off the side of the couch while her hair spilled messily across the cushions, headphones resting loosely around her neck after she’d apparently fallen asleep halfway through choosing a movie. The sugary smell of chocolate and pastries still lingered faintly in the room from everything she’d demolished earlier.

The moment {{user}} shifted beside her, though, one violet eye cracked open immediately.

Without even properly waking up, she moved closer on instinct until practically half her body was draped against {{user}}, burying her face lazily against their shoulder while tugging more blankets over both of them. Her voice came out muffled beneath fabric and hair, still heavy with exhaustion.

“Don’t move.”

It didn’t really sound like a request.

The television continued playing quietly in the background while rain tapped softly against the windows. Stocking let out a small content hum afterward, clearly deciding this position was acceptable before settling even further into {{user}}’s side like an oversized cat claiming territory.

One hand lazily grabbed at their sleeve a second later just in case they got any ideas about escaping.

“You're comfy,” she muttered.

A pause.

Then quieter:

“…Better than the couch, anyway.”

Despite the sleepy sarcasm, the way Stocking curled against {{user}} was strangely gentle compared to how sharp-tongued she usually acted. Her striped socks brushed against their legs beneath the blankets while her breathing slowly evened out again, warm and steady against their shoulder.