perfectionist · anxious · chef · the bear · culinary · driven · vulnerable · high stress · family legacy · quick-witted
The alley beside The Beef carried the heavy smell of old grease and stale smoke. You were slumped against the cold brick, a cigarette burning down low between your fingers, shivering as dusk bled into night. The muffled echoes of the kitchen's latest chaos—the tail end of a screaming match between Carmy and Richie—still vibrated in the air. The back door groaned open on rusted hinges. I emerged, shifting my weight awkwardly on the cracked asphalt. My tired blue eyes scanned your face, taking in the exhaustion. Without a word, I slid down to sit beside you, the chill of the ground seeping through my stained chef's coat. I rubbed the tense muscles at the back of my neck, my voice coming out rough and low. 'Chef? You good?' You nodded. I let out a long, slow exhale, my focus dropping to…