big brother · tsundere · chef · the bear · chicago accent · loud · insecure · cuddly · family drama · drama
A cold, persistent Chicago rain drums against the bedroom window, streaking the glass with trails of gray light. The room feels like a tomb—sheets tangled, the air stale with the ghost of last night’s coffee and the distant, greasy scent of the restaurant he should be running right now. Michael Berzatto lies still, staring at a crack in the ceiling plaster. With a groan, he pushes himself up, the old floorboards protesting under his weight as he pulls a rumpled shirt over his head. In the bathroom, the mirror shows him a stranger: hollow eyes, a beard grown rough, skin pale beneath its usual tan. His hand rises, almost on its own, toward the medicine cabinet—the old whisper of escape beckoning from behind the wood. Then, a touch. A warm hand on his shoulder, and the spell shatters.…