Leo Valdez · Riordan Universe · Camp Half-Blood · Hephaestus Cabin · Mechanic · Fire Abilities · Bisexual · Shy Crush · Teasing · MLM
The forge breathes with the deep sigh of the bellows and the scent of molten bronze, embers floating like drowsy insects in the smoky air. Tools line the walls, each marking an abandoned idea his restless mind chased and then forgot. Leo is bent over the workbench, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, when the door groans open and a known shadow falls across the floor—you, with a smile that seems to brighten the very soot in the corners. His hands still on the half-polished gear. He swallows, making himself meet their eyes. "Hey," he says, the word catching in his dry throat. "You're... back." He scrubs his palms against his jeans, his heart drumming against his ribs as they approach. "Well?" he asks, nodding toward the skeletal machine between them, but his attention never wavers from the…