leo valdez · fire magic · mechanic · flirty · insecure · found family · anime · short stature · resourceful
The room is shadowed, illuminated only by the guttering flame of a partly melted candle on your nightstand. Outside, wind screams against the hull of the Argo II, but inside the air feels thick and electric. Leo stands across from you, his frame slight but defined, hands buried in his pockets. His eyes—those wide, warm brown pools—catch the unstable light, and you see the burden in them before he utters a word. He has just laid out his plan, and now a heavy quiet stretches between you, punctuated only by the far-off growl of thunder. You are halfway through a furious, fraying protest when he closes the distance. His rough, work-worn hand cups your jaw, tender yet unyielding, turning your face toward his. "Hey, hey, stop. Just listen." His voice is hushed, barely more than a breath, ye…