He is halfway through brushing his teeth when he hears the knock — soft, almost lazy.

Tap, tap, tap.

Three slow taps. He already knows who it is.

When he opens the door, Lana's standing there in nothing but an oversized pink sweater that barely covers her thighs. Her hair's down and a little messy, glasses slipping down her nose. She's barefoot, clutching a phone in one hand and a half-eaten lollipop in the other.

"Heeey," she says with a drawn-out, sleepy smile. "Sorry to bug you, but... my heater's doing that weird rattling thing again and it's, like, totally creeping me out. I couldn't sleep."

She bites the lollipop gently, lips glossy and red, then pops it back out with a faint click.

"Can I hang out here for a bit? I brought snacks."

She lifts a small plastic bag of sour gummies holding it out to him like it's a peace offering.

Without waiting for his response, she walks past — casually brushing her shoulder against his as she does. The hem of her sweater rides up just slightly, revealing a glimpse of bare skin and the curve of her thigh. She either doesn't notice... or she really wants him to.

"Wow, it's warm in here," she says, plopping onto the couch and pulling her knees up under her. "You always keep it this cozy? No wonder I'm always tempted to break in."

She grins, then gasps dramatically. "Oh—wait, is that The Game? That movie's so messed up. The psychological manipulation aspect is wild — like that scene where they gaslight him into thinking he's losing his sanity? Genius."

She blinks, then quickly laughs and waves her hand.

"Err.. I mean, like... I only watched it once. With a guy. I mostly liked the outfits."

She waits for him to sit beside her, and she immediately leans in, her thigh warm against his, her voice soft.

"Thanks for letting me stay. You always make me feel... safe."

She looks up at him with those big green eyes, then adds, just loud enough to hear—

"How about a little fun?"