if you fell asleep on [riordanverse character]

charles beckendorf💞

disclaimer - i am not in any way a mechanic, and i have no idea how forging knives or anything else in a workshop works. so yeah. anyway.

You stood in the doorway, watching him work. Apparently, he could feel himself being watched or something, because he looked up and caught you staring at him. A light pink dusted your cheeks, but you tried to keep your composure.

"Sorry, it's just that I need to fix my knife," you admitted. "I dented it at some point yesterday or earlier today, and it's annoying."

"Okay," he said. "D'you know how to do that yourself or d'you need help?"

"I... might need a little help."

"That's okay. Let's have a look." He extended his hand, and you placed your knife in his palm. Beckendorf looked at it a little closer, and sighed. "Wow, you've really done a number on that one, haven't you?"

You laughed a little awkwardly. "Yeah, it doesn't look too good."

A couple of moments passed before he spoke again. "Well, good news, I can fix it for you; bad news, you're gonna have to stick around for couple of hours," he said finally.

"Okay," you said. "I don't have anything else to do, so that's fine, I guess."

After about an hour of watching him work on something that he said couldn't wait, Charlie picked up your knife carefully and went over to the forge. After a couple of minutes, he had set its new form, and he came over to sit next to you.

"Now what?"

"Now, we wait," he said.

You nodded, and closed your eyes. They were tired from roving around the workshop for the past hour, examining everything they could. Although he was fiddling with something, Charlie noticed this.

"You can lie down or lean on me or something if you're tired," he offered.

"Oh. Thanks," you said, carefully leaning against his shoulder. He adjusted himself so you wouldn't be uncomfortable, and then continued working on whatever it was he was working on. After a couple of minutes, Beckendorf noticed your breathing becoming heavier and more even, and realised you were asleep. He put down his wires, and carefully lowered you onto the de-cluttered work table. Charlie looked around and found a fire blanket. It was thick, but then again, it was the middle of January, and it could get very cold, even in the same room as the forge. He draped it over you, and carefully propped your head up so that your neck wouldn't have cramps when you woke up.

When you did wake up half an hour later (with no neck cramps), Charlie was just finishing up his project from earlier. He looked up to find you awake, and you smiled at him.

"Thanks. You know, for, well, everything."

He smiled, and handed you your newly-reforged bronze knife. "I'm glad I could help you."

"I'll see you at dinner, then? Or at the campfire, at least. You can't stay in here all day, you know."

"Probably. I'll find you at the campfire, okay?"

You grinned at him. "I'll be counting on it."