Thwaites & Thompson

Patronizing the child in him

Thwaites

The game was over and Tess was still asleep...
I ended up in the same dilemma, to wake her or not to wake her...
But one thing for sure, I wasn't going to stay here all night, waiting for her sweet majesty to wake up. I needed some sleep myself.

I had another idea but I wasn't so sure it was a good one.
However, there was only one way to know...

Perhaps if it worked, her sleeping problem would be finally resolved.

I turn the TV off and get to my feet.
I took a deep breath and got close to the couch that she was curled on top of, sleeping ever so peacefully.

I turn around to see if her room's door was open and later find out that it was.

"Please don't freak out..." I whisper to no one in particular before I slowly and gently slip an arm under her legs and another under her back before I pick her up in my arms.

She was even lighter than I remember her be.

She fuzzes awake in my arm and jerks her head to meet my gaze sleepily.

"No..." Her voice comes out croaky.

"You can't sleep on the couch your body will ache in the morning..." I inform her after I was in her room and headed to her bed.

She shuts her eyes tiredly and I lay her down carefully.

I drape the bed cover over her and seat myself at the edge of the bed by her side.

She shifts again and her eyes open.

"Will you be able to sleep again?" I ask and she sighs shrugging.

I wanted to sigh in frustration, for my plan hasn't worked when I really hoped I'd be able to transfer her while she still slept, but she was such a light sleeper!

"I can stay here until you fall back asleep..." I offer and she stares into my eyes for a moment before she shakes her head.

"I slept enough, you need to sleep too..." She chuckled lightly. Her voice was so soft and worn out.

"I don't mind." I shook my head and she smiled a little.

"No Adam, I can manage."
"You don't have to do this."
"I'll have to get dressed and leave in a couple of hours anyway." She shrugs and I frown.

"Why so early?" I ask.

"I need to go look for apartments." She says and my eyebrows unknot.

"You don't have to..."
"You can stay however long you want to."
"I told you, take my turn in washing dishes." I grinned when she chuckled sleepily.

I shook my head amusedly.

"You barely make any dishes..." She scoffed and I chuckled.

"If only I can pay you a rent..." She sighs.

"And what would I be doing with the money?" I rolled my eyes.

Her smile vanished and she avoided my gaze.

"It doesn't matter right?" She asks and I nod.

"It'll even be more trouble for me to stay."
"I can't sleep here anyway." She shrugs sadly and I frown again.

"But then again, you can't sleep anywhere else either." I frown at her.

"You get a few hours here though." I inform her and she smiles ephemerally.

"And I take from yours..." She chuckles shaking her head.
I sigh again.

"I'll get used to the new place, I have to." She shrugs.