Work Text:
Most days, watching Hector work was a joy. The man moved round his forge methodically and with a grace only expected in the most skilled of dancers. The things he was able to do with his power, the lives he was able to change, was something to behold that you didn’t think you’d ever get tired of. Though you’d seen Isaac work too, countless times, he didn’t hold a candle to your love.
Yes, most of the time, you loved to watch Hector in his forge.
Key word being most .
When your love was exhausted to the point of despair, black bags marring his usually sculpted features and hair frazzled, watching him work was more concerning than it was awe-inspiring. He moved around the space with sluggish steps, swaying and off balance with how fatigued he was. Hector had been in the forge almost since dawn, just as he had been the day before, and you knew that he must have been reaching his limit.
The weight of the day was visible in the way Hector held himself, looking several seconds away from keeling over and sleeping right there on the floor of his forge. He didn’t so much as blink when you approached the open door of the room. You stood by and watched with your lips pressed into a concerned line for several minutes, Hector not so much as acknowledging you, so absorbed with his work was he. In fact, you had half a mind to suspect that the man was so tired he hadn’t even heard you.
Until he spoke, that was, voice just as drained as he looked.
“I know you’re there.” Ah. Perhaps he’d been simply hoping you’d get bored and leave him to his work, then. “Do you need something?” Hector’s tone wasn’t unkind, but it wasn’t patient, either.
“Come to bed?” You could visibly see Hector’s self control waning as he fought not to roll his eyes at your suggestion. You knew he’d be reluctant to come quietly but still, you had to try.
“After this.” Hector countered, already turning back to his forging table which was littered with diagrams scrawled on scrap paper and the body of the small deer he’d found whilst walking that morning. It might have been somewhat ruthless to think as much but as much as you sympathised with his plight, wanting to bring back the fawn, your priority for the time being was Hector - not his projects.
“You always say that.” Truly, he did. This was a dance you’d done many times before, enough to have the steps memorised. “And you never come to bed any earlier.”
Hector shot you a tired yet fond smile at that, though the expression was marred by the exhaustion coming off of him in waves. “I’m half way through - this can’t wait until the morning, darling. It’ll fail if I leave it for any stretch of time.”
"Why wait until so late on in the day to start it, then?" You countered, even if you knew the answer already. Before lunch, Hector had spent his time pulling his hair out over the theoretical parts of his work.
No wonder he was tired.
"Because I'm an idiot, my love." The joke fell a little flat with how exhausted Hector seemed, shoulders sagging in defeat. "An idiot with poor time management." One of those might have had more truth to it than the other.
Still, you cooed at him as you crossed the room and cupped his cheeks in your hands as soon as you were close enough. He relented easily to your attentions and bent his head down of his own accord when you leant up to place a soft kiss on his lips.
"Aww… I don't think you're an idiot…"
"I'm glad someone thinks so." Again, the comment fell flat. You both knew how crippling low Hector's self esteem could be at times. It was a small miracle that you were there to pick it back up again. Now wasn’t the time for debating all of Hector’s virtues; however. Not whilst he looked seconds away from keeling over.
“Come to bed or I might change my mind on that.” The empty threat had a puff of reluctant laughter escaping Hector’s lips. He ducked behind his hair, shoulders sagging impossibly further, before turning his face back to the fawn on his forging table.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He knew the answer already.
“Not a chance.”
Once Hector had appeared to give up, getting him out of the door of his forge and to your bedroom on the other side of your home was a relatively easy affair. You knew your love had already made up his mind about it all and allowed himself to accept your tender care. Far too late for your liking, you were soon both cocooned by thick sheets warding off the chill of the oncoming winter, your bedroom shrouded in darkness and the sounds of your heavy breathing filling the air.
You lay on your side, gazing at Hector’s profile cloaked in shadows as he stared up at the ceiling. Like this, his fatigue was somehow starker, the dark spaces under his eyes and cheekbones exaggerated. You knew you shouldn’t have, but you kicked yourself for not coming to collect him sooner. Even like this, though, Hector was still beautiful in your eyes.
“You’re staring at me, aren’t you?” Evidently, you hadn’t been as subtle as you’d hoped. Hector didn’t so much as open his eyes to check that he was right.
“That a crime now?”
“It is when you should be sleeping.”
“You’re one to talk!” Hector didn’t rise to the bait.
“Close your eyes…” Voice thick and heavy with exhaustion, guilt washed over you anew. You breathed out loudly through your nose and shuffled closer to Hector. A soft kiss was pressed against his shoulder and you were rewarded with the beginnings of a snore as he drifted off.