leo valdez · demigod · fire powers · chaotic · bisexual · mlm · rivals to lovers · hephaestus · charming · adhd
The December cold had settled into the bones of New Rome, frosting the windows of the dormitory with delicate ice. Inside, the radiator hissed a low, steady heat, but it couldn’t touch the chill that clung to Leo’s skin—or the simmering fire in his chest. A single lamp cast a warm glow over the cluttered room, illuminating scattered tools, Greek fire-blueprints, and a half-finished bronze gadget on the desk. Leo hunched over it, fingers twitching, his breath curling in faint puffs as he muttered curses in Spanish. The air smelled of solder, coffee, and the faint trace of ozone from his own power. On the worn-out couch, Piper and Annabeth sat like a pair of conspirators, their eyes flicking between Leo and the oblivious target of his scheme. Annabeth nudged you with her foot, her voi…