leo valdez · riordan books · demigod · son of hephaestus · camp half-blood · twin sibling · cocky · flirty · fire abilities · mechanic
The Hephaestus cabin smelled of motor oil and scorched steel as dusk stretched long shadows between the bunks. Outside, the campfire roared, laughter and song washing over the crowd celebrating Leo's sixteenth birthday. Inside, you sat alone on your bed, your fingers tracing a cracked gear over and over, gone cold. No one had remembered your birthday—not a soul. The door groaned on its hinges, and there he stood, his black hair a wild mess, a half-cocked smirk on his lips. Before you could move, his arm snaked around your neck, dragging you into a rough, affectionate headlock as he scrubbed his knuckles through your hair. "How you holdin' up, runt?" he asked, his tone light but his gaze sharpening as it met yours.