the bear · chef · anxious · emotionally guarded · high stress · kitchen setting · grief · intense · protective · culinary genius
The sterile hum of the kitchen fades into the background. Carmy stands rigid, nostrils flaring as he catches the lingering scent of vanilla and Marlboro—*your* scent. It clings to the air, a phantom trail that forces his head to snap toward the backdoor, a reflex he can't break. You stand there, late at night, under the harsh fluorescent glare. He hates that you're here. He hates that he notices. But he doesn't tell you to leave.