A Silena and Beckendorf one-shot, summer of TLO (before his death of course). Read & review :]

Disclaimer: I think you've figured it out by now.

Silena wiped her brow, trying to forget how hot it was, how bad her sweaty hair must look, and the fact that her boyfriend was late. Again. It had been alright the first few times- ten minutes late to campfire, five minutes late to a midnight stroll on the beach...but this, this was unacceptable. Forty three minutes had lapsed under a ruthless sun as she had waited for him to join her for a picnic lunch near Zeus's Fist. Silena straightened out the blanket- for the thirtieth time- and made up excuses for why Charlie was late. He got injured in a pegasus accident. He got called to a mandatory meeting. Anything was all right with her as long as it wasn't the fact he-

"Got backed up in work down at the forges," Charlie said, breathlessly, sitting down next to her and wiping soot off his face. That. Silena brushed her sweaty bangs to the side and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Again, Charlie? This is the third time! You do realize you're keeping me waiting," she snapped irritably, the sun and hunger getting to her temper.

"Sil, you can't start on me about this! This is a war we're talking about! The Hephaestus cabin is working day and night to make armor and weapons and we still can't finish anything fast enough!"

Silena smoothed the picnic blanket again, avoiding Charlie's eyes and remaining silent.

Charlie started again. "Do you not understand? My cabin needs me right now! I don't know about other cabin leaders, but I'm there to help my brothers and sisters."

Silena flushed with anger and leapt up to her feet, toppling the picnic basket over in the process. Charlie scrambled off the ground and backtracked quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-,"

"Mean what Charlie? I suppose you think the Aphrodite cabin leader just sits around on her bum all day, constantly demanding things from her hardworking boyfriend? I'll have you know I am up to my head in work! I'm booked all day with counseling sessions with kids who've lost their siblings in the Battle of the Labyrinth, I'm the one organizing the whole entire fireworks ceremony to keep the camp's spirits up, I am the one teaching five pegasi riding sessions a day! And yet, I still find time for a boyfriend who doesn't even care enough to show up on time to anything I plan!"

Hot tears sprang up in Silena's eyes as she spilled out all of her growing frustrations in one breath. "I make time for you, Charlie," she whispered. "Next year we're both in college and will only be seeing each other during the summers. Don't you want to make every second count?"

Charlie sighed, looking hurt. "Sil, I never meant to hurt you like this. I'll spend all my break times from the forges with you, if you want-,"

"If I want?" Silena implored. "Charlie, this is about both of us. If you don't want to spent time with me-,"

Charlie groaned, and threw up his hands. "Don't do this Sil-,"

"-Then I don't want spend time with you either," she finished indignantly. And with a whirl of hair and a pivot of the feet, she ran down the hill, leaving the basket, blanket, and boyfriend behind.

The tears that had welled up in Silena's eyes now trickled down her face, and she hastily wiped them away. She was already regretting getting so worked up over something so minimal, and knew she'd miss Charlie just for the few days it would take for them to cool off. Finally she made it to the edge of the woods and neared the Aphrodite cabin, gasping for air after the lengthy run. She threw open the door dramatically and promptly smashed her face into her pillow, giving out a woeful sob. In a heartbeat half her sisters had crowded around her in concern, ready with an arm to punch or a shoulder to cry on.

Sitting up and giving a dignified sniff, she said, "Anyone have a good apology speech?"

By the time campfire was almost ready to start, Silena had already memorized what she'd say. She'd open with an apology for being a selfish girlfriend, and then she'd ask to be forgiven for keeping him from doing his work. Then-

She stopped playing the words over in her head as he walked over to her. But before she could take a deep breath and launch into the first sentence, Charlie smiled cheerfully and pecked her cheek.

"You excited for campfire tonight?" he asked, indifferent to the picnic lunch fiasco earlier that day. Silena struggled to thread together a sentence.

"I...well...um, yeah," she said, tentatively weaving her small fingers through his strong, callused ones. Boys will be boys, she thought amusedly.

Awww, their first fight! At least guys get over things quickly :) Let me know what you think, every review makes my day!