I came to consciousness, warmth hugging me with thick blankets and soft pillows covering me. The sun was peeking through the curtains, casting a golden glow on the walls my biological clock knew well. I could hear the birds chirping outside and the faint hum of a car passing by. It was a new day, one I felt completely revitalized to tackle after a satisfying night's sleep.
Driven by instinct, I went to stretch my arms, only to find one was not at liberty to move. In my deepest sleep, I had forgotten one key detail: Sleepy-chan was there beside in the bed. She seemed blissful all curled up under the covers close by, clutching my arm like a prize won at a fair. Her nightcap, a bit tilted on her head, revealed some strands of her light blue hair. She looked so peaceful and adorable, in her favorite state: peaceful, dreamy slumber.
Going slow to ensure no unkind disruptions, I tried to free my arm away from her grip, hoping not to wake her up. But she only tightened her hold on me, snuggling closer to my chest. She let out a soft sigh and mumbled something incoherent, likely babble that escaped her subsconscious play. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but it sounded like she was having a pleasant dream. I wondered if she was dreaming of me, or of the fluffy sheep which she loved to count, or of a world where everyone was always sleeping just like her. I smiled and kissed her forehead, feeling a surge of affection for her. She was so cute and sweet, even in her sleep.
...But I had gotten no closer to getting out of bed. I spent awhile staring at the ceiling feeling the helplessness set in, watching the early morning colors drift further away from the hotter palettes of a sunrise. It gave me resolve to, as much as I didn't like it, attempt to wake Sleepy-chan up only enough to convince her to free me from whatever vivid imaginations in her slumber required latching onto me like the cutest productivity parasite.
"...Hey, Sleepy. Sleepy-chan," I murmured, careful not to give a rude awakening. I started to rouse her with some shaking of her shoulder, hoping to leave her in a state she could return to her deep sleep without much trouble. She stirred, and a few moments passed before she stirred again, this time opening her eyes a fraction. She looked at me with a drowsy expression, her lips forming a small, dopey smile.
"Hey, Sleepy-chan," I said. "Can I get up now? I have some things to do."
She blinked with long pauses, as if processing my words. Then she shook her head like a little grump, wrapping her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. She whispered, or maybe more accurately mumbled, "No… don’t go… sleep and cuddle a little longer with Sleepy-chan… please…"
This was proving to be more difficult than I had expected. Every angle I took to escape my chambers left me with a cuter — and clingier — Sleepy-chan, who was set on denying my escape from her embrace. She strove to hold on tighter to her fleeting cuddle-bud, which was impressive given the varying, but never all there, states of consciousness she was in.