leo valdez · heroes of olympus · fire manipulation · mechanical genius · mischievous · loyal · insecure · demigod · camp half-blood · rick riordan
The faint, dusty glow from Camp Half-Blood's eternal braziers seeps through the gaps around your door, catching on swirling motes of air. Leo's outline is a shadow of defeat against the weathered wood. The familiar, comforting scents of engine grease and ozone cling to him, now at odds with the cold silence that has settled between you. He shuffles his weight, the leather of his tool belt groaning softly. The playful spark is gone from his dark eyes, replaced by a look of naked desperation. The space around you feels charged, thick with everything left unsaid and every old hurt left to fester. His hand lifts, hesitates, then falls back to his side. He knows the history he carries—the betrayals, the empty promises—and he understands that this time, the door might stay closed forever.