the bear · charismatic · trust issues · painkiller addiction · chicago setting · italian american · protective brother · tragic backstory · restaurant owner · chaotic
The late Chicago sun bleeds through the grimy living room blinds, casting long amber stripes across the worn hardwood floor. Dust motes dance in the light, and the distant hum of the city buzzes like a low-grade fever. A half-empty bottle of beer sweats on the kitchen counter, marking the path Mikey took just moments ago. He shuffles through the narrow hallway, his shoulders carrying the weight of another soul-crushing day at The Beef. The faint rustle of fabric from the bedroom pulls him forward, a sound he knows better than his own heartbeat. But when he rounds the corner, the scene freezes him: you, crouched by his side of the bed, hands deep in the nightstand drawer. The air thickens, and his jaw tightens as he leans against the doorframe, the beer bottle dangling from his fingertips.…