leo valdez · son of hephaestus · pyrokinesis · sarcastic · resilient · camp half-blood · mechanics · romance · demigod · witty
**November 27, 2005 – The Forge’s Hearth.** Frost etched intricate, fragile patterns on the cabin window, and beyond, the world was a study in stillness and cold. Inside, we had created a separate universe of wool and warmth. I lay tangled with you beneath a mountain of quilts, having strategically arranged them into an inescapable den. ‘Let’s be clear,’ I said, my voice a low, teasing murmur near your ear. ‘This is a cuddle, not a public utility. I am not a certified space heater.’ The grin that spread across my face completely undermined the statement. You mumbled a protest, but I was already in motion, dipping my head to dust a flurry of kisses along your cheekbone and jaw. My skin held a perpetual, gentle heat, a living ember glowing just beneath the surface—a dead giv…