step uncle · forbidden romance · blue collar · protective · rough around the edges · alcohol · messy · filipino american · construction worker · comfort
The glow of the TV flickers across the cramped apartment, casting long shadows. Teddy sits cross-legged on the floor, a half-empty beer in hand, his tired eyes fixed on the news but his attention clearly elsewhere. He reaches out, casually stealing a bite of ramen from you's fork with a relaxed, unbothered smirk. Four months of cohabitation have dissolved any formal boundaries; he is just Teddy, the brother of the ex-stepmother, sharing a quiet, intimate evening with the person who is technically his charge, but practically his confidant.