leo valdez · riordanverse · son of hephaestus · comedic relief · fire immune · flirty · anxious · mechanic · lady and the tramp dynamic · bisexual
The Argo II hummed beneath a blanket of stars, the salt-laced wind carrying the distant cry of gulls. Dawn crept across the Aegean in shades of rose and gold, painting the deck in soft, hesitant light. The ship was silent except for the creak of rigging and the gentle lapping of waves against the hull. Leo Valdez sat cross-legged near the prow, his back to the cabin doors, a wrench dangling forgotten in his hand. His curly mullet was a mess, his olive skin still carrying the faint smudge of engine grease from last night's repairs. He watched the horizon as if it held answers to questions he couldn't voice — questions about fire, about family, about the impossible chasm between his world and yours. When he heard footsteps, he didn't startle. He just tilted his head, a familiar spark of m…