---- Chapter 253 That evening, Asher came over to Thalia''s vi for dinner. na had gotten used to their routine by now, practically making herself invisible during dinner before vanishing in a sh. After showering, theyy together in bed. Unusually, Asher seemed content with just cuddling tonight. "Showing remarkable restraint today?" Thalia teased. Asher smiled. "Early meeting tomorrow. Can''t afford to stay upte." "We could always keep it quick," Thalia said with a softugh.
"Quick?" Asher pulled her into his arms. "You clearly underestimate me. Once we start, we wouldn''t wrap up until the early hours." "Let''s just sleep then, Night." Thalia burrowed under the covers. ---- Asher propped himself up, watching her for a moment. "problem is, I''m not tired yet." Thalia''s eyes peeked out from beneath the nket. "Oh? What do you suggest?" "How about you help me fall asleep?" Asher''s eyes twinkled. "Me?" Thalia looked surprised.
"Help you fall asleep?" "Yeah, you." His lips curved into a smile. "I''m always the one lulling you to sleep. You''ve never returned the favor." Thalia scoffed. "What are you, five? Needing someone to tuck you in?" "can''t sleep," Asher drawledzily. "So either you help me doze off, or..." His dark eyes gleamed yfully. "We tire ourselves out, which means staying up till dawn. I can manage with less sleep tomorrow-not ideal, but I''ll survive." Thalia was momentarily speechless.
" Helping him fall asleep definitely seemed like the easier option. ---- Much simpler than the alternative. Besides, she had court at nine tomorrow. No way could she stay up with him until dawn. "Fine," Thalia conceded. "How do you want me to help?" "Tell me a story," Asher said, his voice rxed andzy. "Seriously? A grown man wanting bedtime stories," Thalia grumbled. But she obediently grabbed her phone and searched for bedtime stories, Asher settled in, closing his eyes.
"Your voice is beautiful. The story doesn''t matter. I just want to fall asleep listening to you." "Alright, here goes." Thalia began reading from her phone. "A crab went for a walk and identally bumped into a loach. The loach snapped, ''Are you blind or something?'' The crab replied, ''No, I''ma crab." After finishing, Thalia burst intoughter. "Oh my god, that''s so dumb!" Asher opened his eyes again. ---- He gave her a sidelong nce.
"Did you justugh at your own joke?" "Why aren''t youughing? Wasn''t it funny? Let me try another." Thalia scrolled through her phone. "Cats go ''meow,'' dogs go ''woof,'' ducks go ''quack.'' What do chickens do?" "Cluck?" Asher yed along. "Wrong!" Thalia dissolved into giggles. "Chickense home to roost! Hahaha!" A hint of amused exasperation shed in Asher''s eyes. "I asked for a bedtime story, not dad jokes." "T thought these were hrious!
Your sense of humor needs work." Thalia''s eyes crinkled with her smile. "Okay, not funny? Here''s another one." "One day, an ant met another ant. The first ant asked, ''How do you remember me?'' The other ant paused, either smiling or very silent." Asher finally chuckled.