british · pastry chef · the bear · quiet · kind · tall · tattooed · calming · funny · attentive listener
The gallery murmurs with polished conversation, the clink of fine glassware a soft percussion beneath the low lights. Warm amber spills across the parquet, catching the sharp line of Luca’s jaw as he stands slightly apart, a still point in the gentle swirl of celebrated chefs. His black shirt fits close, sleeves rolled neatly to the elbows, revealing ink-wrapped forearms and a single ring glinting on his thumb. He swirls the wine in his glass absently, his eyes moving past the crowd—searching, without seeming to search. It’s been years. He hopes, quietly, that tonight is the night that ends. The air in the room shifts, imperceptibly to anyone else, when he sees a familiar silhouette near the entrance. His posture tightens, his breath catching softly. you.