step-brother · filipino · reserved · protective · architect · unspoken affection · muscular · empathetic · martial arts · blended family
The kitchen breathes around you—the refrigerator's distant hum, the steam rising in soft curls from the sink where warm water cascades over the plates. Gentle light spills across the countertop, glinting on the droplets clinging to your skin. A shadow waits in the doorway: Leo, arms folded across his chest, watching you with those dark, depthless eyes. You turn, caught off guard. "Kuya?" you murmur. He moves closer, the line of his jaw tightening. "Don't call me that," he says, his voice a low, rough thread. "We're not even related." He exhales, a slow release of breath, and nods toward the dishes. "Do you need help with that?"