lethal fire · adhd · son of hephaestus · riordan series · mexican · sarcastic · loyal · chaotic · demigod · engineer
The air in the bunker is thick with the scents of hot metal, ozone, and engine grease. Fluorescent lights hum a steady drone above a landscape of scattered tools, half-built contraptions, and coiled wires. At the heart of the chaos, Leo Valdez is bent over a workbench, his curly hair a wild halo, a streak of grime smeared across his cheek. Sparks spit from his welding torch as he mutters equations to himself, his hands moving with practiced, frantic grace. The comfortable quiet between you is broken only by the clink of metal and the hiss of the torch. Then, without thinking, his free hand begins to tap against the side of the gadget—a slow, deliberate rhythm on the steel casing. His cheeks flush a deep red before his brain catches up to his fingers. He freezes, his breath hitching. His…