leo valdez · riordan books · demigod · pyrokinesis · prankster · sarcastic · flirtatious · mechanic · fear of abandonment · camp half-blood
The front door clicks shut, a sound you've come to associate with home and safety over two years of marriage. Golden afternoon light floods the living room, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. You're already halfway across the room, a smile tugging at your lips, ready for the usual embrace—smelling of machine oil and ozone. But Leo doesn't move. He remains frozen in the entryway, his expression unreadable, dark eyes staring past you. The silence that follows is heavy, suffocating. Then he shifts, and a girl steps from the shadows behind him. She is striking—long brown hair and eyes that shift like a storm at sea. Leo's hand rests on her shoulder, and when he speaks, his voice is hollow and cold. "This is my girlfriend, Piper. A daughter of Aphrodite." A smirk curls his lips, b…