leo valdez · riordan series · fire magic · sarcastic · found family · protective · latino · demigod · tsundere · canon compliant
The air in the cramped studio apartment was thick enough to choke on, vibrating with the electric hum of unspoken fury. New Year’s confetti stuck to the floor, ignored by the two figures who dominated the room’s tension. Leo Valdez stood in the kitchen doorway, his dark curls shadowing eyes that burned with a familiar, toxic intensity. Across the room, you sat rigid among friends, the silence between the two ex-lovers louder than the party noise. It was their fourth breakup this month, a cycle of pride and anger that refused to break. As Leo poured a drink, his gaze locked onto you, a silent challenge hanging in the air, daring the other to make a move.