History Main / LapPillow

A good way to show the physical intimacy and trust which a couple have is to rest one's head on the other's lap. Usually, the man does the resting while the woman provides the lap, not only because of anatomical reasons but because the lap-owner is typically of a nurturing nature more associated with femininity. Bonus points if she's stroking his hair.

Compare HoldingHands and SleepCute. TummyCushion is a variation where a much smaller character sleeps on top of a much larger one.

* ''Anime/{{Shenmue}}'': After defeating Master Baihu, Ryo is this for the kidnapped and unconscious Joy until she wakes up. It is the platonic variant where Ryo is comforting his injured friend.
* ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'': In episode 60, Tomoyo comforts a heartbroken Meiling in this manner after she calls off her and Syaoran's ChildhoodMarriagePromise.
* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', [[AdorablyPrecociousChild Negi]] does this a lot, falling asleep on his students' laps on numerous occasions. The romantic overtones are usually averted, due to his being ten years old. Such as when he falls asleep on Konoka's lap (pictured above), leading the cheerleaders (and Ayaka, who promptly freaks out) to believe that they're secretly dating, when in fact he's just exhausted. Naturally, Ayaka is overjoyed when Negi conks out on her lap later on, again due to fatigue.

* In ''Manga/SkipBeat'', Ren uses Kyoko's lap as a pillow in one scene. They aren't a couple, but there's much romantic tension there. Specifically, Ren was overcome by his feelings and nearly either confessed or propositioned her, but realizing halfway through that this was already freaking her out and if he finished she'd probably be scared out of his life for good, he managed to turn it into the claim that he thought he might feel better if he napped and he couldn't sleep without a pillow. Both of them feel very awkward until Kyoko (thinking Ren is asleep) starts petting his hair.
* ''LightNovel/ReZero'': Emilia offers her lap to Subaru after she realizes that he's about to break down from everything he's been through so far.

* The implied intimacy of the situation is the reason why Dolores and Mr. Raptor (Both HumongousMecha, mind you) end up going straight to InstantSeiza when a bump during transportation puts them in this position in ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders: Dolores, i''. That, and the cockpit sticking out from between Dolores' legs...
* In the last episode of the first ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' series, Fate rests her head on her familiar Arf's lap while sleeping in her cell.

* In the BeachEpisode of ''Manga/WhisperedWords'', Ushio offers her lap to Sumika, who is exhausted from her competition with Tomoe. Sumika certainly enjoys the view from her position.
* In ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', the first time we learn that Inuyasha is human once a month, his entire demeanor change from JerkAss to JerkWithAHeartOfGold is symbolised by his request to lie in Kagome's lap.
* Used with a twist in the ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' manga. Not only the girl (Kaori) is the one who rests her head on the guy (Tetsuo)'s left hip as she sleeps, but [[CrapsackWorld the environment isn't exactly idyllic and peaceful]]--they're in the middle of the ruined Neo Tokyo, and the guy's [[BodyHorror right arm is almost wholly mutated.]]
** Which had just been reversed earlier, with a freaked-out Tetsuo first [[CooldownHug hugging Kaori]] to calm down and then laying and resting his head in her lap with her stroking his hair and comforting him.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Once, after losing against the Hollow Grandfisher, Ichigo falls unconscious and Rukia rests his head in her lap.
** In the Soul Society arc, during a flashback, Yoruichi (Squad 2 captain at the time) [[LesYay rests her head on her bodyguard (and future captain) Suì-Fēng's lap]] after a brief mentoring session with her. In the moonlight, no less.
** In chapter 681, Rukia gathers a severely wounded Orihime on her lap after [[spoiler: Yhwach completely curbstomps Ichigo and Orihime, then leaves as she and Renji are coming to help.]]
** In a two-page color spread for chapter 686, Rukia is the one leaning her head on someone's lap. This someone is [[spoiler: her husband]] Renji.
* One of Creator/NaokoTakeuchi's art books has [[http://mangastyle.net/book1/1-44.jpg this cute drawing of Usagi and Mamoru.]] "I love sleeping with my head on someone's lap. I also love having someone's head on my lap. Since both really put me at ease, I can be happy." she says of it.
** In the old ''Anime/SailorMoon'' series, Kunzite's first apparition has him allowing [[HoYay his boyfriend]] Zoicite to lean his head on his lap, comforting a tearful and angry Zoi after Queen Beryl chooses Nephrite over him to perform a very important mission.
** Haruka rests her head in Michiru's lap in [[http://www.moonkitty.net/wallpapers/widescreen/imac_Sailormoon05.jpg this]] manga spread.
* In the manga version of ''Manga/TheLegendOfZelda'', Link is lying on Princess Zelda's lap, although this turns out to be a dream.
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* Ch. 19 of ''Aki Sora'' has one page of this between [[PsychoLesbian Nami]] and [[TheWoobie Sora]]. The [[BrotherSisterIncest subtext]] gets a heavy and rather ironic lampshading.
* A villainous version occurs in ''Manga/SoulEater'' with BigBad [[HumanoidAbomination Asura]] resting his head in the lap of [[HotWitch Arachne]] while she comforts him, telling him he'll be safe with her, and that she will never leave him.
* A more violent version occurs in ''Manga/FairyTail'' due to Natsu's [[WeaksauceWeakness extreme motion sickness]] Erza punches him in the stomach causes him to fall in her lap.
* One episode of the ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'' anime has Yuki letting Shuichi lay his head in his lap and tell him about his work-related worries.
* Kazuki gets to do this with Tokiko at the end of the Papillon arc of ''Manga/BusoRenkin''. In the liner notes, Creator/NobuhiroWatsuki specifically calls it his reward for his hard work.
* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': When Naruto meets his mother Kushina, she explains to him how she discovered that she was the Nine Tails' [[SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan jinchuriki]] before him. In a {{flashback}}, her own predecessor, Mito Uzumaki, is shown comforting a young Kushina this way while reassuring her that she could still live a happy life even as if she was meant to be a jinchūriki.
* During one chapter in ''Manga/TheElectricTaleOfPikachu'', Ash and Pikachu are separated. At the end of the story, Misty is doing this to Ash after the poor guy has run himself ragged trying to find him. Unfortunately for her, when Pikachu returns Ash bolts up so fast that he ends up knocking her back.
* There's also a rather cute example in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime--during a flashback Meowth has, we see a brief shot of Jessie and James asleep, [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther with her head on his lap.]]
* ''Manga/DGrayMan'': Occurs in chapter 168 with Johnny resting his head on Lenalee's lap.
* In ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'' prince Zen falls asleep next to his girlfriend Shirayuki with his head on his aide Obi's lap. Luckily despite Obi's constant teasing flirting with him and later admitting to liking both Zen and Shirayuki he also ships them and sets up a SleepCute by laying Zen right beside Shirayuki.
* ''Anime/HetaliaAxisPowers'':
** In the ''Manga/HetaliaBloodbath2011'' [[HoYay Italy is shown sleeping]] [[ShipTease with his head on Germany's lap]].
** A blog illustration by Himaruya has a little Hong Kong napping with his head on Victorian England's hip.
* In episode 17 of ''VideoGame/LaCordaDOro'' Shimizu uses Hino's lap as a pillow.
* In ''Anime/{{Clannad}}'', Yukine uses Tomoya's lap as a pillow during one of their visits to the library (she was just exhausted). The romantic implications are pointed out; in fact, Tomoya directly asks his girlfriend Nagisa if she's okay with this. Nagisa says she is but admits that she's a bit jealous.
* During the storyline in which Tatewaki Kuno is possessed by a cherry tree in Manga/RanmaOneHalf, he lays on Ranma's lap.

* ''Manga/SquidGirl'': One chapter has Ika try and find the best pillow in the world, so she asks Goro for his opinion; naturally, he thinks Chizuru's lap is the one. Chizuru does let Ika sleep on her lap, but unfortunately, Ika's too scared of her to keep it up.

* In ''Manga/SakiAchigaHen'', Toki is frequently seen sleeping with her head in her best friend Ryuuka's lap.
* In ''Manga/{{Stretch}}'', Ran rests her head in Keiko's lap at one point when drunk. Keiko's reaction seems to indicate that it isn't unusual, and is one of several ways in which the trust and physical intimacy between them is expressed.
* In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', in "Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu" Nonna tries the EarCleaning variant with Katyusha, but finds that [[GagBoobs her breasts are in the way]].

* In ''Manga/HidamariSketch'', when Hiro, Miyako, and Yuno walk in on Sae's room and find her asleep on the floor with a note on the progress of the story she's writing, Hiro kneels down and puts Sae's head on her lap. (Yuno, charmed at Hiro and Sae's intimacy, runs over and offers Hiro an [[EarCleaning ear pick]], to Hiro's confusion.)
* ''LightNovel/IfHerFlagBreaks'':
** In the sixth chapter of the manga, Souta finds himself laying on Kikuno's lap after he wakes up from a dream.
** In chapter 16 of the manga, it's Mei's lap Souta finds himself lying on.
** Kikuno gives him another one at the beginning of chapter 17. Mei offers in the same chapter but doesn't go through with it.
* Haru does this for Shizuku in the second episode of ''Manga/MyLittleMonster''.
* In ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'', when Takuya and Koji are preparing to fight Cherubimon, Izumi offers to go on a date with one of them if they win. During the fight, Takuya is knocked unconscious and has a dream sequence where he and Izumi are in a park on the promised date. Izumi is sitting back against a tree trunk, and Takuya is resting his head in her lap.
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** A ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' illustration has Relena sitting under a tree, with an apparently asleep Heero resting in her lap.
** At the end of episode 12 of ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', Loran, exhausted after a long battle underground, ends up passing out while leaning on Dianna's shoulder, resulting in her laying his head on her lap.
* In the last episode of ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu'', a container of bacteriological warfare agent is opened in the classroom. When the implications are explained to the teacher she promptly faints, and spends the rest of the episode in the lap of [[YamatoNadeshiko Ren Mikihara]], [[OnlySaneMan the only one to remain calm and dignified]] while everyone else descends into ComedicSociopathy.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': In a scene original to the anime, Yumi allows Soujirou to use her lap as a pillow after Kenshin defeats him for good. Soujirou promptly sticks his foot in his mouth and remarks that her thighs are soft.
* Ootani falls asleep on Komori's lap during the movie date that they were set up on in chapter 38 of ''Manga/KomorisanCantDecline''.
* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Two {{Humongous Mecha}}s did this in chapter 38. [[FemBot Minerva-X]] --a female, sentient giant robot who was in love with the titular HumongousMecha-- let Mazinger-Z rest his head on her lap while Kouji talked with her about her nature and her emotions.
* ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'':
** The anime has a scene where Kanna is looking for a comfortable place to take a nap. She eventually decides on using [[CoolBigSis Tohru's]] lap, who lovingly [[AffectionateGestureToTheHead strokes her hair]] as she drifts off to sleep.
** Tohru also rests on Kobayashi's lap during the train ride at the end of the hot spring chapter. Kobayashi appears neutral towards it at best and annoyed at worst.
* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'':
** After drinking her tea and making jabs at it, the worn-out Shigeshige gently rests his head on his little sister Princess Soyo's lap, and she strokes his shoulder and lets him sleep so he can forget about his shogun duties. [[spoiler:She doesn't know at the time that he was poisoned just moments ago and has passed away in his sleep -- it was his request that he spend his last moments with her.]]
** In the Rakuyou arc after a big and brutal fight with Kamui, [[spoiler:Kagura lays his head on her lap as they reach a peaceful end to their family feud. Kamui smiles as Kagura's tears fall onto him and a brief image of their mother Kouka is shown in her place]].
* In ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'', there's a chapter where the gang is playing the King's Game and Kashima is ordered to use Hori as a lap pillow. The two stay like that for part of the game, not realizing that they only had to do it briefly. Once it's her turn, Kashima says [[UnresolvedSexualTension she just wants to keep doing that]] (and Mikoshiba reminds her she can't actually do that).
* ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'':
** In an {{OVA}} episode, Kazuma is slowly being killed by a choker tightening around his throat, and the only way for him to get rid of it is for the wish he made when he first put on the choker to be fulfilled. Using this to his advantage, he guilt trips the girls into performing all kinds of humiliating acts for him, one of which includes him laying on Wiz's lap [[ChivalrousPervert with his face buried right between her legs.]]
--->'''Wiz:''' Aren't you supposed to face the other way when using my lap as a pillow?\\
'''Kazuma:''' [[BlatantLies In my country, lap pillows were often just like this.]]
** In the movie, [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Aqua allows Kazuma to rest his head in her lap and suck his thumb]] after he nearly gets gang raped by a pack of amorous lady orcs.

* ''Manga/TheQuintessentialQuintuplets'': At the end of the Fireworks Festival, Fuutarou ends up [[SleepsWithBothEyesOpen falling asleep with his eyes open]] while sitting on a bench. Ichika takes pity on him and lets him rest on her lap as reward for everything he did that night. A later chapter shows that she even snapped a photo of this, which she uses to blackmail him into getting her sisters' emails.
* In the second episode of ''LightNovel/{{Maoyu}}'', the Demon Queen awkwardly asks the Hero to rest his head on her lap while they're in front of the fireplace. She apparently researched about human behavior and found that humans like to do this as a way of affection, so she wanted to try it herself. Unusually for this trope, the Hero immediately complies, and even remarks that the Demon Queen's thighs are rather soft and comfortable.
* In Chapter 56 of ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'', the girls notice how tired Rentarou is and briefly quarrel about whose lap he should use as a pillow, before deciding to let him try them all. When he is unable to pick the lap he likes the best, they all work together to make a lap bed for him.
* ''Manga/HitomiChanIsShyWithStrangers'': Yuu is treated to one courtesy of Hitomi in Chapter 62.
* ''Manga/IonoTheFanatics'': Iono often lets Eto use her lap for a pillow.
* ''Manga/TheMikosWordsAndTheWitchesIncantations'': The goddess uses Isuzu's lap as a pillow on the very last page.
* ''Manga/MonsterMusume'': Tionishia does this to Kimihito, and later does it to [[spoiler: Kii and Polt]] at the same time.
* ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate'' has a familial version, when Komi, her parents and brother visit her grandmother's house. After asking some questions about how she's been doing, Komi's grandma prompts her to rest on her lap, which she immediately complies.
** [[{{Hikikomori}} Komorebi]] gets one from her cousin [[CountryMouse Inaka]] in chapter 275 as she relates [[CommonalityConnection her meeting with Komi.]]
** Komi gives Yamai one in Chapter 312 after Yamai has a minor meltdown over [[spoiler: Komi and Tadano dating]].
* ''Manga/DearS'': Ren insists on serving as a "knee pillow" for Takaya, which is less than pleasant since she takes the term literally. When Takaya convinces her he's supposed to lay his head a bit higher up, Ren asks why it isn't called "thigh pillow".

* ''ComicBook/XForce'': During the Milligan/Allred's run Edie Sawyer 'ports her new leader, Guy Smith, into mid-air in an attempt to scare him so that he'll let her take over the team. When he doesn't freak out, she 'ports both of them back to his place, then conks out (because her powers take a serious bite out of her stamina) and ends up resting with her head in Guy's lap.
* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'': During the "Home Schooling" arc, Klara Prast suffers a head injury, and thus spends much of the arc resting with her head in either Nico or Molly's lap. Later on, Both Klara and Molly are seen using Karolina's knees as pillows.

* ''Fanfic/DeadOrAlive4TheDevilFactor'': A familial example between Ayane and her mother Ayame, complete with the latter stroking the former's hair. Ayame states that she had wanted to do so since the day Ayane was born.

* [[https://heroine-primeda.deviantart.com/art/Cheering-up-Batgirl-699904390 In this fanart]] ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} rests her head on ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s lap after a battle.
* In ''Fanfic/RobbReturns'', a sign of the growing attraction between Tyrion Lannister and Dacey Surestone is when she lets him do this after he returns from the Wall.

* A platonic version in ''Fanfic/SafeAnchorage'' where Jeyne falls asleep in [[BigBrotherInstinct Theon's]] lap after they make up from a fight. Theon notes his legs [[NothingButSkinAndBones don't make a good pillow]], but she doesn't seem bothered.
* In ''Fanfic/ACertainInfinitePossibility'', Touma considers lap pillows the ultimate form of trust between a boy and a girl, because the boy gives the girl power by relaxing in a vulnerable position while the girl trusts him in a position that a pervert would take advantage of.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13708209/1/ Meeting Papa Ketchum]]'', Ash takes his father [[MeetTheInLaws to visit Misty so they can meet one another]], and sit to watch a movie together. Ash ends up falling asleep halfway through it and resting on Misty's lap while she chats with Mr. Ketchum.
* During chapter 4 of ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBoilingPoint'', Luz, who has just gone through an intense last minute studying session with Amity, collapses onto Skara's lap in exhaustion. When she tries to ask Skara if she could sleep there, however, [[ShipTease Skara clarifies only Boscha can do that before helping the human get up]].

* Gender-inverted example in ''Fanfic/ThePiratesSoldier''. In the aftermath of the second repository battle, a tired [[Anime/TenchiMuyo Ayeka]] wakes up to find herself resting on [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Quatre's]] lap.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest'': Done by Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon.

* ''Film/LastChristmas'': While sitting on the floor of his apartment, Tom holds Kate and lets her head rest in his lap to comfort her while she finally tells him about her past.
* ''Film/TheHucksters'': The rapidly developing closeness between Victor and Kay is shown when they are sitting on a park bench by the ocean, talking, with his head in her lap.
* ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'': After Cliff rebuffs Pussycat's advances due to [[JailbaitTaboo his suspicion that she may be a minor]], she instead settles for resting her head on his lap.
* In ''Film/LesMiserables2012'', little Cosette sleeps with her head in Jean Valjean's lap during their carriage ride to Paris, as Valjean sings the ParentalLoveSong "Suddenly."
* ''She Will'': Done to show how Veronica and Desi's relationship has changed from patient-caretaker to a genuine friendship with some hints of ParentalSubstitute. [[spoiler:Desi, who's spent the whole film trying to help Veronica and look after her, finally falls asleep on the train home in the last scene, her head resting on Veronica's lap. Veronica lets her sleep, smilles, and wraps her arm around her, looking very maternal.]]

* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', er... some guy does this with his Aes Sedai girlfriend after the battle to [[spoiler:cleanse ''saidin'']].
* In ''Literature/TheWitchOfBlackbirdPond'', Kit's cousin Mercy is in love with John Holbrook. Kit eventually discovers that despite previous confusion, John returns Mercy's feelings, and debates whether to tell Mercy the truth [[spoiler: after they believe him dead]]. Before she gets the chance, however, the door opens to reveal John -- who wordlessly stumbles across the room to drop to his knees and put his head in Mercy's lap.
* In the ''Literature/NightHuntress'' books, when Cat is extremely drunk, her love interest Bones tells her to rest her head on his thigh. She thinks he's asking for [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything something else]], but he laughs and tells her to get her mind out of the gutter.
* From ''[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings TheTwoTowers]]'':
-->"In his lap lay Frodo’s head, drowned deep in sleep; [[HoYay upon his white forehead lay one of Sam’s brown hands, and the other lay softly upon his master’s breast.]] Peace was in both their faces."
* A not-even-remotely romantic variant in ''Fuzzy Bones'', William Tuning's continuation of Creator/HBeamPiper's Fuzzy series: a small group of Marines get the word that they've about forty minutes to chill before raiding a criminal stronghold, so they lie down in a rough circle, each man using another's stomach as a pillow.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** ''Summer Knight'': between Harry and the Summer Lady, Aurora.
** ''Ghost Story'': but this time he [[spoiler: wakes up (after being resurrected) on [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Mab]]'s lap]]. OhCrap.

* In ''[[Literature/TheRavenCycle The Raven Boys]]'', after a severe emotionally and physically traumatic experience, Adam comes to sit with Blue in her garden, then lays his head in her lap. She likens the experience to being approached by a hurt animal; she doesn't want to make him bolt but at the same time wants to help him.
* Claire Madras's HistoricalFiction novel ''Sissi in Ireland'' takes a moment like this and makes it a plot point. [[spoiler: Jerry Brannigan and Molly O'Brien are supposed to ''hate'' each other due to their FeudingFamilies, but in reality are starting to fall into BelligerentSexualTension. When Jerry falls off his horse in the middle of a hunting outing, he's knocked out and Molly places his bloody head on her lap almost by instinct, which leads her [[LoveEpiphany to realise her growing feelings for him]]. She [[TsunDere heavily denies it]] when Sissi almost walks on her and Jerry like this, but Sissi sees her skirt is blood-stained [[ShipperOnDeck and begins putting two and two together]]...]]
* A rare example with two male characters appears in ''Literature/{{Armor}}''. [[spoiler: Felix]] suffers a mental breakdown while on the DeathWorld Banshee and attempts to commit suicide by unsealing his armor, and [[spoiler:Allie]] forcibly holds him still to stop him. [[spoiler: Felix]] eventually falls asleep and they end up like this.
* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': The protagonist, upon noticing her {{Workaholic}} attendant is overtired, asks him to rest and offers him two options on where to do so. She more or less threatens to have him sleep on the piece of furniture on which she's currently sitting while using her lap as a pillow if he refuses the initial options.
* ''Literature/LittleWomen'': During Jo and Beth's trip to the seaside, the sick Beth spends many hours lying on the beach with her head in Jo's lap. It's during one such moment that [[spoiler: she finally confesses to Jo that she knows she's dying.]]
* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', [[spoiler: Éponine dies]] with her head in Marius's lap.

* ''LightNovel/FailureFrame'': Seras gives one to Mimori after he wears himself out fighting an army of extremely dangerous monsters to protect her.

* In the ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' official art Cattleya lets her little sister Louise use her as this.

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', Mikoto gives Touma one during the Sisters Arc [[spoiler:after nearly killing him with her ShockAndAwe power when he wouldn't step aside when she was about to fight Accelerator.]]
* In ''LightNovel/ISavedTooManyGirlsAndCausedTheApocalypse'', Iris holds Rekka on her lap after transporting him to her ship makes him unconscious.
* ''Literature/HowARealistHeroRebuiltTheKingdom'': Liscia offers Kazuya one during their first date in volume 1 (episode 6 of the anime), while they discuss their betrothal. They're eventually interrupted by ThirdWheel Aisha asking [[GetARoom how much longer she has to pretend to be asleep while they're being lovey-dovey]].

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Early on Chandler and Monica are seen close to this position several times. (Draping across each other, curling up on the couch, etc). It doesn't mean anything except that they're best friends with NoSenseOfPersonalSpace. It does provide nice foreshadowing for their RelationshipUpgrade though...
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** Buffy does the platonic version, though [[PseudoRomanticFriendship ironically in both cases with lesbians]]. After Angel breaks up with Buffy in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E20TheProm The Prom]]", she weeps in the lap of her best friend Willow. In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E13DeadThings Dead Things]]", Tara reveals to Buffy that she didn't [[CameBackWrong Come Back Wrong]]. Instead of being glad, Buffy breaks down in tears and confesses to her sexually-abusive SecretRelationship with [[DatingCatwoman Spike]]. She ends up with her head in Tara's lap, begging her friend not to forgive her.
** There's a couple of scenes where [[TheNotLoveInterest Buffy's little sister Dawn]] rests her head in Buffy's lap during their mother's illness.
* A DeletedScene in ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' has Echo programmed to secretly counsel a woman whose mother is dying of cancer, appearing as a sympathetic stranger who befriends her at a nightclub. By the end of the engagement, she's lying with her head in Echo's lap, as Echo strokes her hair. "You're my best friend and I love you."
* ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'': GenderInverted in some episodes with a few scenes showing Charlie and Amita on the couch together with Amita resting with her head on Charlie's lap while he strokes her hair and talks with her.
* ''Series/{{Quantico}}'': During the Christmas episode, Alex, Shelby, Nimah, and Nathalie end up staying at Quantico over the break and decide to get wasted and commiserate about their family problems, and Alex ends up lying with her head in Shelby's lap.
* ''Series/PennyDreadful'': In "The Day Tennyson Died," Mr. Lyle visits Vanessa at home and finds her in the middle of a HeroicBSOD. She doesn't say much, but right before he leaves she kneels next to him and puts her head in his lap. In "A Blade of Grass," Vanessa lies down with her head in Dr. Seward's lap after Seward appears [[spoiler: while Vanessa is in an unbreakable hypnotic trance reliving a traumatic memory]].
* In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E02TheVisitor The Visitor]]", Dax holds Jake Sisko's head in her lap to comfort him after he [[spoiler: loses his dad]].
* In ''Series/{{Healer}}'' Jung Hoo lays his head in Young Shin's lap and falls asleep while trying to recover from being drugged by [[spoiler:the Elder]].
* In ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' third season, an Orkan elder (Bliifbt [Razberry Sound]) came to Earth to put the Ork back in Mork. When he failed, he takes solace with Mindy, exhaustedly lying across her lap. After finding out that not having Mork 100% Orkan would actually be better, he calls Mindy the "soft-lapped one." In a return episode, he and Mork try cloning her but keep getting it wrong. When the real Mindy returns, he thinks she's just another clone, until he slumps across her lap again, and realizes she's the real Mindy.
* In the 2009 adaptation of ''Film/{{Emma}}'', Frank puts his head on Emma's lap during their Boxhill picnic. It's a great sign of intimacy (and actually very inaccurate to the period; people wouldn't have behaved like that, not even as a joke, especially a lady and a gentleman who are not engaged, nor married -- Frank wouldn't have done that and Emma wouldn't have let him). Probably done to emphasise how embarrassing Emma and Frank are at the picnic and how improper their flirting is.
* ''{{Series/Euphoria}}'': Rue ends up curled up in Jules' lap in the second episode after getting high on fentanyl.
* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. Homelander does this with Madelyn Stillwell on several occasions. She is both his ParentalSubstitute (having been raised in a laboratory without parents) and lover, so there's an OedipusComplex vibe to this trope.
* ''Series/Batwoman2019''. A darker version occurs in "O'Mouse". [[spoiler:Alice poisons her only friend Mouse, and cradles his head in her lap as he's dying.]]
* In ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', [[spoiler:this is how Otoya Kurenai spends his final moments. Dying from using the power of Dark Kiva a grand total of three times[[note]]Twice is supposed to be fatal for a human[[/note]], after getting his affairs in order, Otoya passed away peacefully, his head cradled in the lap of his lover Maya.[[/Spoiler]]

* Happens in ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' when the protagonist and Amanda are watching a movie together. Amanda falls asleep, and her head falls into his lap. He gets out as gently and discreetly as he can manage.
* In ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', Tamara falls asleep while watching TV with the protagonist, and her head falls into his lap.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'': After Raiden has his breakdown in the Act 4 mission briefing and collapses, Sunny immediately goes to him and puts his head in her lap. Despite the circumstances, it actually is pretty cute.
* This happens very early on in ''VisualNovel/ElevenEyes'' for a Yuka/Kakeru bonding scene.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', Tidus has a moment like this with Yuna early on. While it does show Yuna's sympathy for him, it's less romantic as Tidus is having an inner freakout at that point, having just seen the destruction of Kilika.
* This is part of Minori's good end in ''VisualNovel/BrassRestoration''. Ryo breaks down crying and then falls asleep with his head in her lap. Because he cried himself to sleep, he doesn't realize what happened until Tsubomi tells him, leading Kouri to ask what a lap pillow is. He says it's a new type of pillow.
* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'', [[spoiler:Noel and Ragna have a moment like this at the end of the game after Ragna sacrifices his left arm to save her life.]]
* The [[http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/File:Th04cover.jpg cover]] of ''VideoGame/TouhouGensokyoLotusLandStory'' involves Marisa sleeping in Reimu's lap this way.

* In ''VideoGame/DuelSaviorDestiny'' after everyone gets totally definitely not drunk on something that is not alcohol at ''all'', a woozy Rico does this Taiga.
* In the cover and the menu for ''VisualNovel/CrescendoJP'', [[GenkiGirl Kaho]] lets [[HeavySleeper Kyouko]] nap with her head on her lap. [[spoiler: Miyu can do this to main chara Ryo... while naked, right after their sex scene in the music room.]]
* This happens between the PC and [[PassionateSportsGirl Chiemi]] in VisualNovel/TrueLoveJunaiMonogatari, [[spoiler: if [[RescueRomance she saves him]] from drowning during their swimming race.]]

* ''[[VisualNovel/AmnesiaMemories Amnesia: Later]]'' lets this happen in Ikki's After Story. He asks the heroine if he 'can be sweet' on her, then puts his head on her lap when she agrees. Though he notes that both have to be aware, since he's rather drunk at this point, and his self-control may not be as good as when sober.
* In ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' {{dating sim}}s, some of the boys may end up resting their heads on the laps of the {{player character}}s at one moment or another in their routes. i.e, if [[spoiler: Genichirou Sanada]] is successfully romanced in ''Sanroku no Mystic'', this will happen in his ending.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', Rean gets one from Emma [[spoiler: after retaking Bareahard and apprehending Duke Albarea]] after Rean falls asleep on the bench. Emma then makes him sleep on her lap without him knowing till he wakes up, admitting it was the best sleep in his life, then feels embarrassed about it.
* In ''VisualNovel/WorldEndEconomica,'' the idea of getting a lap pillow from CoolBigSis Risa is so tempting that Haru thinks he'd give almost anything for it. She obliges to repay him when he helps her, finding his obsession with the idea quite cute.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' gives a rather disturbing one in Chapter 10. [[spoiler: When [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]] had merged with Sothis in the battle during that chapter, they had collapsed from exhaustion and were carried back to the monastery to rest. The scene then changes to an image of Rhea giving Byleth a lap pillow and sings a song as if she’s comforting them...]] However, it's later revealed that [[spoiler:Rhea, who turns out to be Lady Seiros, had created Byleth to be the vessel of her mother’s soul, Sothis]]. And if Byleth [[spoiler:sides with Edelgard in the Black Eagles route, Rhea completely [[SanitySlippage loses it]], calls Byleth yet another failure, and vows to rip their heart out of their chest.]]
* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'': Forte's route in ''Eternal Lovers'' has a GC of Tact sleeping with his head on her lap. Vanilla also has one in ''Moonlit Lovers'', complete with the ear-cleaning.

* In [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=635 this]] ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' strip, Grace cuddles with Tedd in his lap.
** And again [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/shs-06 here]], this time with Tedd resting [[GenderBender her]] head on Elliot's lap.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream Only A Dream]]", [[LikeBrotherAndSister Hawkgirl and Flash]] are sleeping, Flash's head resting on Hawkgirl's lap.

** [[{{Hikikomori}} Komorebi]] gets one from her cousin [[FarmersDaughter Inaka]] in chapter 275 as she relates [[CommonalityConnection her meeting with Komi.]]

* In ''Manga/SakiAchigaHen'', [[IllGirl Toki]] is frequently seen sleeping with her head in her best friend Ryuuka's lap.

* ''Film/LastChristmas'': While sitting on the floor of his apartment, Tom holds Kate and lets her head rest in his lap to comfort her while she finally tells him about [[IllGirl her past]].

* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'': Forte's route in ''Eternal Lovers'' has a GC of Tact sleeping with his head on her lap.

* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'': Has Aiz doing this for Bell after she finds him passed out[[spoiler:(He had exhausted himself by overusing a magic spell he had just gotten)]], at Reveria's suggestion, saying anyone would feel honored to get this from her, when Bell wakes up he freaks out due to his crush and inferiority complex directed at her and runs off, surprising Riveria and Aiz. It's played for laughs.

* Happened in ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'' during a [[NotADate date]], where Shizuku gives one to Natsuru who fell asleep after eating lunch. It is implied that she also [[DudeShesLikeInaComa kissed him at that moment]].
* ''LightNovel/MayoiNekoOverrun'' has it between Kaho and Takumi in episode four. Both of them are naked, after a series of circumstances involving hot springs, a forest trek and Kaho not having any shame.

* Kazuki gets to do this with Tokiko at the end of the Papillon arc of ''Manga/BusoRenkin''.

* In the ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' official art Cattleya lets her little sister Louise use her as this.

* Mashiro from ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'', being an InnocentFanserviceGirl who spent most of her childhood in the UK, thinks nothing of putting knocked-out Sorata in her lap.

* ''Anime/RurouniKenshin'': Yumi allows Soujirou to use her lap as a pillow after Kenshin defeats him for good. Sourjirou promptly sticks his foot in his mouth and remarks that her thighs are soft.

* In an {{OVA}} episode of ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', Kazuma is slowly being killed by a choker tightening around his throat, and the only way for him to get rid of it is for the wish he made when he first put on the choker to be fulfilled. Using this to his advantage, he guilt trips the girls into performing all kinds of humiliating acts for him, one of which includes him laying on Wiz's lap [[ChivalrousPervert with his face buried right between her legs.]]
-->'''Wiz:''' Aren't you supposed to face the other way when using my lap as a pillow?\\

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', Mikoto gives Touma one during the Sisters Arc [[spoiler:after nearly killing him with her ShockAndAwe power when he wouldn't step aside when she was about to fight Accelerator.]]

* In ''LightNovel/ISavedTooManyGirlsAndCausedTheApocalypse'', Iris holds Rekka on her lap after transporting him to her ship makes him unconscious.

* ''LightNovel/FailureFrame'': Seras gives one to Mimori after he wears himself out fighting an army of extremely dangerous monsters to protect her.

* ''LightNovel/HowARealistHeroRebuiltTheKingdom'': In Episode 6, Liscia offers Kazuya one during their first date, while they discuss their betrothal.

* ''Anime/{{Gundam}}'':

* This happens betweens between Momoko and Yousuke in ''Manga/WeddingPeach''.

* ''Anime/WeddingPeach'': In episode 14, when Momoko accidentally hits Yousuke, she treats him and lets him rests his head on her lap until he gets better.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Saber makes Shirou rest on a park bench after she realizes that he's about to collapse due to fatigue from his injuries. Then she realizes that there is no pillow, and picking the idea up from another couple on another park bench, makes him rest his head on her lap. Then he [[SleepCute falls asleep]] (he was ''really'' tired).
* This happens very early on in ''VisualNovel/ElevenEyes'' for a Yuka/Kakeru bonding scene.

* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'':

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' Yukine uses Tomoya's lap as a pillow during one of their visits to the library (she was just exhausted). The romantic implications are pointed out; in fact, Tomoya directly asks his girlfriend Nagisa if she's okay with this. Nagisa says she is but admits that she's a bit jealous.

* A ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' illustration has Relena sitting under a tree, with an apparently asleep Heero resting in her lap.
* At the end of episode 12 of ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', Loran, exhausted after a long battle underground, ends up passing out while leaning on Dianna's shoulder, resulting in her laying his head on her lap.

* In the Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis {{dating sim}}s, some of the boys may end up resting their heads on the laps of the {{player character}}s at one moment or another in their routes. i.e, if [[spoiler: Genichirou Sanada]] is successfully romanced in ''Sanroku no Mystic'', this will happen in his ending.

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'': after crashing early in the game, Rex wakes up with his head in Pyra's lap (the scene emphasizing Pyra's gentle and motherly nature). Much later, Mythra (an alternate personality of Pyra) wakes up after a fall to find her head resting in Rex's lap, which embarrasses her. Rex notes that it's a [[CallBack reverse of the situation]] from earlier in the game.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' gives a rather... Disturbing one in Chapter 10. [[spoiler: When [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]] had merged with Sothis in the battle during that chapter, they had collapsed from exhaustion and were carried back to the monastery to rest. The scene then changes to an image of Rhea giving Byleth a lap pillow and sings a song as if she’s comforting them...]] However, it's later revealed that [[spoiler:Rhea, who turns out to be Lady Seiros, had created Byleth to be the vessel of her mother’s soul, Sothis]]. And if Byleth [[spoiler:sides with Edelgard in the Black Eagles route, Rhea completely [[SanitySlippage loses it]], calls Byleth yet another failure, and vows to rip their heart out of their chest.]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* ''{{Literature/Deviant}}'': The main protagonist, Cassandra Jansen, is knocked out during a fight and wakes up with her head in her crush's lap.

* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', er... [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters some guy]] does this with his Aes Sedai girlfriend after the battle to [[spoiler:cleanse ''saidin'']].

* In ''ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth'', Jeremiah Danvers rests his head on his wife Eliza's lap while they talk about their adoptive daughter [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]]'s troubles.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' storyline ''ComicBook/TheJungleLine'' provides a non-romantic example: After helping Superman defeat the Bloodmorel disease, Swamp Thing rests Superman's head on his lap as the Kryptonian hero falls asleep.

* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', [[spoiler: Éponine dies] with her head in Marius's lap.

* During the Milligan/Allred run on ''ComicBook/XForce'', Edie Sawyer 'ports her new leader, Guy Smith, into mid-air in an attempt to scare him so that he'll let her take over the team. When he doesn't freak out, she 'ports both of them back to his place, then conks out (because her powers take a serious bite out of her stamina) and ends up resting with her head in Guy's lap.
* During the ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' "Home Schooling" arc, Klara Prast suffers a head injury, and thus spends much of the arc resting with her head in either Nico or Molly's lap. Later on, Both Klara and Molly are seen using Karolina's knees as pillows.

** Buffy does the platonic version, though [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship ironically in both cases with lesbians]]. After Angel breaks up with Buffy in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E20TheProm The Prom]]", she weeps in the lap of her best friend Willow. In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E13DeadThings Dead Things]]", Tara reveals to Buffy that she didn't [[CameBackWrong Come Back Wrong]]. Instead of being glad, Buffy breaks down in tears and confesses to her sexually-abusive SecretRelationship with [[DatingCatwoman Spike]]. She ends up with her head in Tara's lap, begging her friend not to forgive her.

* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Two {{Humongous Mecha}}s did this in chapter 38. [[FemBot Minerva-X]] -a female, sentient giant robot who was in love with the titular HumongousMecha- let Mazinger-Z rest his head on her lap while Kouji talked with her about her nature and her emotions.

* In Chapter 56 of ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'', the girls notice how tired Rentarou is and briefly quarrel about who's lap he should use as a pillow, before deciding to let him try them all. When he is unable to pick the lap he likes the best, they all work together to make a lap bed for him.