he wants the first night

The night air was growing colder.

Athena had just finished tidying up her small bedroom. The blanket was neatly spread, the pillow fluffed for comfort, and the room bathed in the soft glow of a warm bedside lamp. It cast a calm and gentle atmosphere throughout the space. She slipped off her apron and changed into a pair of light cotton pajamas, then ran a brush through her still slightly damp hair.

The moment she collapsed onto the bed, Athena let out a long sigh. Her face looked exhausted, but her gray eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

"My one and only ugly phone," she muttered, thinking back to everything that had happened at Carlos's mansion.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then mumbled under her breath, "And now I left it at that bastard's house."

She hugged her pillow and buried her face in it.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered, her voice fragile. "All my data, my important contacts, are in that phone. Now I can't even ask Lucy for help unless I walk to her place!"

She sank into her thoughts. But then, a quiet creak from the door startled her.

Athena turned quickly. The bedroom door, which had been closed, slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway was Asher, wearing an oversized brown sweater and wool pants that were starting to slip slightly from his hips.

His face was calm and expressionless. His silvery hair was slightly messy, but somehow that only made him look oddly adorable.

Athena immediately sat up straight on the bed.

"Asher?" she asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

Asher didn't answer right away. He stepped into the room slowly, his gaze calm but serious, then came to stand at the edge of the bed, looking at Athena like someone who had just made an important decision.

"I'm supposed to sleep here, right?" he asked innocently.

Athena nearly choked on her own breath.

"What?" her voice rose in pitch.

Asher gave a slight nod. "Lucy said, husbands and wives are supposed to sleep together."

Athena opened her mouth, about to speak, but no words came out. She was in complete shock. 

Asher slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. He turned to Athena with a serious yet innocent look on his face, like a child trying to understand how the human world works.

"And she also said husbands and wives usually have their first night together."

Athena slapped her forehead. She already knew exactly who was behind this.

"Lucy," she groaned. "This is totally Lucy's doing."

Asher looked down, as if he felt guilty for repeating something that clearly left Athena overwhelmed.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly.

Athena quickly turned to him, her cheeks slightly red. "No, you didn't do anything wrong," she said, trying to steady her breath.

"You're not wrong. It's just, you don't need to know about that yet."

Asher looked at her intently. "But if I was wrong, it's okay for you to be mad."

Athena looked into those pale blue eyes, then slowly shook her head with a weak smile.

"I'm not mad. I just need to make sure you really understand."

Asher nodded gently and looked down at the bed. "So, i'm sleeping on the couch again?" 

Athena stared at his disappointed face, and for some reason, her heart tightened a little. She knew this man in front of her wasn't exactly human, but tonight he looked so normal, so simple, and so alone.

After a moment, Athena shifted over and lifted the blanket slightly.

"If you promise to just sleep, you can stay," she whispered quietly.

Asher's face lit up instantly. "I promise."

He carefully climbed into bed, lying down on the opposite side like he was afraid to touch anything he shouldn't. His arms lay stiffly across his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling.

Athena glanced at him and let out a small laugh.

"Are you trying to sleep or doing yoga?"

Asher turned to her quickly. "What?"

Athena laughed louder this time. "Relax. You're way too stiff."

Asher nodded slowly, trying to relax, and closed his eyes.

In the comfortable silence that followed, only the wind outside the window could be heard. Athena looked over, watching Asher's peaceful face.

And for the first time, she thought,

"If he truly has no past, maybe his future is with me."

Quietly, Athena turned her back to him. Her eyes stared at the ceiling with a distant gaze.

But sleep never came.

She shifted restlessly, turning over from time to time, then going still again. From the way her breath came soft but heavy. It was clear her mind was far from calm.

"Asher," she murmured finally.

"Yes?" came the calm voice beside her, clearly still awake.

Athena turned to face him. His expression was calm like a child. She exhaled deeply.

"You haven't slept either?"

Asher shook his head. "No. I kept thinking about what Lucy said."

Athena rolled her eyes. Of course, Lucy again.

There was a pause. Then, for some reason, a mischievous curiosity stirred inside her, almost like a challenge to herself.

"Asher," she said softly, her voice shifting into a playful tone.

"Well then. Do you want to do something romantic?"

Asher's head turned sharply, as if a siren had gone off in his brain. "Romantic?"

"Yes," Athena said, locking eyes with him, her expression teasing.

Asher paused, then a light flickered in his eyes as if he remembered something.

"Alright then, sit up."

Athena frowned. "What?"

Asher nodded confidently. "Lucy said romance can start with a massage. So you need to sit."

Athena froze. "Oh God, what will he do?"

With a mix of hesitation and curiosity, she slowly sat at the edge of the bed, hugging her knees as she glanced back at him.

"Okay. What are you going to do?"

Asher sat behind her. With the utmost seriousness, he lifted his hands and began massaging her back. His movements were gentle but awkward, like someone who had only learned through theory but never had the chance to try it.

Athena bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"Asher," she said, glancing over her shoulder, "Are you sure this is romantic?"

"Yes," he replied honestly. "I don't have flowers. I didn't have time to prepare candles. But Lucy said a touch can be romantic if it's done with sincerity."

Athena finally let out a small laugh, turning slightly to look at him.

"You know, romance can mean a lot of things. But what you're doing, it's actually sweet. I like it."

Asher nodded proudly. "So I didn't fail?"

Athena looked at him for a long moment. Her heart was racing, not because of the massage, but because of the honesty in every word and action he gave.

"Not yet," she said with a small smile. "But you'll get better if you keep learning."

Asher raised an eyebrow. "Learning from you?"

Athena laughed again. This time, her laugh was softer, warmer, full of something she couldn't quite hide.

"Maybe. If you're lucky."

Asher resumed his gentle massage, and Athena let herself enjoy the strange but comforting moment; on a small bed, in the middle of the night, with her husband who knew nothing of love just yet, but might one day become the only man who truly loved her, if he really had no identity and no one else waiting for him.