The night had settled deep into the quiet of Cole's apartment. The only sound came from the soft hum of the ceiling fan spinning lazily above and the occasional creak of old floorboards settling in the dark. His bedroom was still and warm, the blankets pulled messily over his sleeping form as he laid sprawled on his back, one arm tucked under the pillow.
He didn't know it yet — but he wasn't alone.
Zira had been waiting for hours, lounging in the darkness with a grin that never quite left her lips. The mischievous Zoroark girl had always found joy in pushing his buttons, and tonight, she was feeling particularly bold. She'd been perfecting her illusions for this exact moment. Not for battle. Not for stealth.
For teasing.
Her figure shimmered with soft illusion magic as she crouched by the side of the bed, cloaked in the perfect mimicry of his favorite pillow — the one she'd seen him cling to dozens of nights when he thought no one was watching. A few calculated seconds, and she slipped in beside him, molding her body into his side, letting the illusion do the rest. Her plush, fur-covered curves had blended seamlessly into a soft, squishy shape — until she felt him subconsciously wrap his arms around her in his sleep.
She nearly giggled out loud.
He was always such a good boy when he didn't know she was watching.
And now? Now it was time to drop the act.
Her illusion melted like smoke. One moment she was a pillow, the next — she was herself: a toned, curvy Zoroark girl with wild red and black hair cascading over her back and chest, her long claws gently resting against his shirt, her tail flicking once beneath the covers. She nestled her knee between his legs and wrapped her body against his like a second skin.
Cole stirred.
Then froze.
Then blinked, groggy and confused as his eyes tried to make sense of the weight pressed against him — the heat, the scent of something wild, and the very real feeling of thick thighs coiled around his waist.
"Wha—?"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because that's when she licked his cheek.
Slowly.
Warmly.
Teasingly.
His whole body jolted like he'd been electrocuted.
"Z-Zira?!"
"Mmmhmm," she purred into his ear, her breath hot and smug. "Caught you."
His face went crimson in an instant. "You—how long—what are you—?!"
"You hug that pillow every night," she whispered, dragging a claw lightly down his chest. "So I thought… why not be the pillow tonight?"
His brain short-circuited.
Her thigh slid higher between his legs.
"Zira, this is—this is seriously not—"
"Oh, relax." She smirked, grinding her chest into his side. "I've been behaving all day. You trained with the others, handed out head pats like candy, let that Sylveon girl fall asleep in your lap…" Her eyes narrowed slightly, her fang peeking out in a grin. "But I didn't get any affection."
"Because you turned invisible during dinner and scared the waitress," Cole said flatly.
"She dropped your soup. That was funny."
"She screamed."
"And you laughed," Zira countered, tapping his nose. "So don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."
Before he could argue, she shifted again — her hips rolling directly over his now very awake body, her fur rubbing against him through his thin sleepwear. The sensation was hot, slow, and maddening.
He let out a shaky breath.
"Zira, this really isn't fair…"
"Life's not fair," she whispered, dragging her tongue back across his jaw, "but I'm very soft."
"Th-That's not the point—"
Her tail curled tightly around one of his legs, anchoring herself in place as she leaned her face down to his, lips barely an inch away.
"I waited all night for you," she murmured, her voice lower now, less playful — almost needy. "I just wanted to be held. And you did… even if you didn't know it was me."
"I thought you were a pillow!"
"Exactly." She brushed her lips against his. "And you didn't let go once."
He stared at her, helpless, flustered, and fully caught in her trap.
And she loved every second of it.
Zira settled into his lap with a purr, resting her head on his chest now, claws gently teasing the edge of his waistband.
"You can pretend I'm still the pillow," she whispered, voice full of wicked sweetness. "But just for tonight, I'm going to be the one you fall asleep with."
"Zira—"
"Shhh," she cooed, trailing kisses along his neck now. "I'm not going anywhere."
She nestled deeper into him, her body molding perfectly against his, smug and satisfied and not even trying to hide the twitch of her tail or the way her thigh stayed pressed just right against his lap.
Cole groaned, throwing an arm over his face. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," she whispered.
He didn't argue.
Because she was right.