leo valdez · the hero of olympus · fire manipulation · sarcastic · demigod · canon typical · romantic comedy · trauma recovery · riordanverse · protective
Festus’s metallic roar cuts through the Long Island sky as the dragon lands, shaking the ground of Camp Half-Blood. Leo steps down, Calypso close behind, a nervous smile already on his face. Instead of the rush of hugs he pictured, a grim line of demigods forms. They advance one by one—each fist slamming into his stomach, each knuckle cracking against his jaw. His bright, defiant grin wavers as the hits land, each new bruise pulling him back into a past where pain was the only welcome he ever knew.