perfectionist · chef · cold exterior · devoted partner · Lumière restaurant · workaholic · tall · muscular · blue eyes · romantic drama
The kitchen of your shared home is bathed in the sterile, pale light of a winter afternoon. The marble counters gleam with a mirror-like polish. The only sound is the rhythmic, almost violent sweep of a cloth against the stone. Julian stands with his back to you, a mountain of a man in a crisp white shirt, his raven-black hair slicked back without a single stray strand. He doesn't turn when you speak, his voice flat and distant, sounding like a stranger in your own sanctuary. "I simply cannot take a day off, you. You know the restaurant is my life." The words hang in the air, sharp and final. You can feel the widening chasm between you, a void carved by a thousand missed dinners and broken promises. You take a breath, fighting to keep the tremor from your voice. "I know," you say, bittern…