"Ohhh, you actually look beautiful when you laugh." he grinned. "
"I didn't augh," she protested.
"You snorted," he corrected. "With confidence."
Athena slapped both hands over her face.
"No I didn't."
"Yes, you did," he said, nudging her knee with his. "It was adorable. Do it again."
"Absolutely not."
He gasped dramatically. "You wound me. How do you expect me to survive without hearing your cute snort?"
Athena finally broke into a real laugh. A loud, unexpected one.
The sound made Theodore still for half a second… then he smiled, softer than before, eyes lingering on her like she was something he couldn't look away from. Well maybe she was.
Theodore watched her laugh until it softened into a sleepy smile, then tilted his head.
"You should really go back to sleep," he said gently. He paused for a second. "Or…" His lips curved. "Do you want me to sing you a song?"
Athena blinked, startled. "You can sing?"
