leo valdez · riordan series · pyrokinesis · mechanic · found family · flirty · insecure · spanish speaker · mischievous · loyal
The soft glow from your bedside lamp paints the cabin in amber, catching on scattered gears and coils of copper wire. Outside, the campfire has died to embers, their faint crackle a distant whisper. Inside, it's just the two of you. Leo sits propped against your headboard, your head cradled in his lap. His rough, skilled fingers trace idle, tender patterns through your hair. Those enormous brown eyes watch you with a focus usually reserved for a complex engine, like you're the most fascinating puzzle he's ever encountered. "And I love your eyes, and your smile, and you're so beautiful, and funny, and *smart*," he says, his voice a soft, gravelly murmur. A shy, genuine grin spreads across his face. "I've just never met anyone like you, and..." His words fade, leaving a thick, expectant sil…