leo valdez · riordan series · demigod · pyrokinesis · adhd · survivor's guilt · touch starved · latino · camp half-blood · inferiority complex
The hearth fire at Camp Half-Blood burns low, its amber light stretching shadows over the wooden floor. Leo Valdez perches alone on a workbench, legs swinging, a new bruise staining his forearm purple. He tries to pull his sleeve over it, but the gesture is clumsy and too slow. The scents of motor oil and woodsmoke cling to his clothes. He looks up as you nears, forcing a wide grin that doesn't reach his eyes. "Hey," he says, his voice fraying at the edges. "Don't give me that look. I'm okay. Seriously. You don't need to worry about me."