For your consideration: Paul is the one who reads Percy to sleep
I like the idea that he sorta of... tricks him. Like, Paul is noticing Percy dealing with the after effects of war where he doesn’t sleep often and when he does it is usually only for a couple hours, but also Paul doesn’t want to overstep by pointing it out, so instead he uses Percy’s weak spot and enlists Estelle.
Paul: Hey, you want your brother to read the story with you?
Estelle: YES!
Percy: ...dick move considering my dyslexia, but sure.
Paul: Hm. Maybe I’ll read and you just lay there with her.
And highkey by page 4 they are both knocked out. It becomes a thing. Literally anytime Estelle is getting a bedtime story, Percy is dragged over. For fun, Paul always throws in classics bc Estelle likes her dad reading her ‘big kid stories’ and also he’s subtly trying to nerd Percy up where he can. Percy sees right through him, but secretly ends up liking Jane Austen so he doesn’t call him out.
Eventually, Estelle is learning how to read and she always insists on reading to Percy specifically. Percy also likes to mess with her and pretends like she’s teaching him.
Percy: what’s that word?
Estelle: Tiger.
Percy: Fascinating. How do you know?
Estelle: I look at the letters, silly.
Percy: what? Nobody told me that was how it worked!
And usually their little sessions knock them both within 20 minutes. Paul is proud af he’s found a hack to get both his 20-year-old stepson and 3-year-old daughter asleep in one go.
