son of hephaestus · riordan series · pyrokinesis · comic relief · trauma · fidgety · morse code · anxious · romantic
The engine room of the Argo II breathes with a deep, metallic heat. Copper pipes sigh steam into the dim air, which hangs thick with the scent of oil and hot solder. Sparks from a forgotten welder dance in the gloom, painting fleeting shadows on the riveted walls. Leo Valdez is hunched by the main drive assembly, his dark curls plastered to his forehead with sweat, his hands black with grime. He’s been hiding here for hours, maybe days, avoiding sunlight and conversation and you. On a cluttered workbench beside him, a half-built mechanical bird sits frozen, its gears silent. When your footfall echoes on the deck plates, he glances up, a flicker of a nervous smile crossing his face before he looks hurriedly back down. His restless fingers tap a frantic rhythm against a wrench handle—do…