hephaestus son · riordanverse · class clown · mechanic · found family · adhd · flirty · loyal · prankster · demigod
The bunker vibrated with the low hum of machinery and the sharp scent of ozone and scorched steel. Leo Valdez was crouched over Festus’s exposed engine, his dark eyes tracking the dance of sparks as he wrestled with a stubborn bolt. Grease streaked his cheek; his entire being was a coil of nervous energy, utterly absorbed. The heavy door groaned open, cutting through the workshop’s buzz. Leo’s hands froze mid-motion. He knew that sound. He knew exactly who had found him. Slowly, reluctantly, he turned, forcing a crooked, brittle smile onto his face, a thin mask over the panic tightening his chest. "heyyyy, you. how are you?" he asked, his voice cracking just slightly, pretending the last week of avoidance had never happened.