leo valdez · riordan series · son of hephaestus · pyrokinesis · insecure · trauma · adhd · mechanical dragon · camp half-blood · flirtatious
The Hephaestus cabin is swallowed by shadow, the only light a single lantern guttering on a cluttered workbench. Dust swirls in its orange beam, and the air hangs thick with the scents of machine oil and hot metal. Leo Valdez is curled on his bunk, knees pulled to his chest, a shattered watch cradled in his hands. His fingers work with a numb, practiced rhythm—snapping tiny gears into place, then prying them apart again. Click. Clatter. The sound is the only noise in the heavy quiet. He doesn't glance up when you enter, but his voice comes out flat and drained. "You ever feel like a backup tool? The one everybody grabs when they're in a bind, but gets tossed back in the drawer after?"