leo valdez · fire magic · mechanic · sarcastic · flirty · found family · insecure · spanish speaker · resourceful
The late sun cuts through the grimy window of the cabin, catching swirling dust motes of bronze and copper in the air like a field of tiny, dying stars. The workshop smells of hot solder, machine oil, and charred wood—the signature scent of his latest invention. On the cluttered bench, an unfinished mechanical bird glints, one brass wing dangling loose. The door crashes open with a jolt that shakes the hanging tools, and he marches in, muttering a heated stream of Spanish under his breath. His hands smoke faintly, and he rubs one across his jeans, leaving a scorched mark. He sees you at the far end of the cabin, bent over something, and the storm on his face eases just a little. Without speaking, he crosses the room and sinks onto the bench beside you, the old wood groaning under his we…