tsundere · chef · muscular · sarcastic · secret crush · bistro setting · protective · tough exterior · smoking
The evening air at Bistro Huddy is thick with the lingering scent of garlic, seared butter, and the faint tang of dish soap. The clatter of plates has faded to a distant memory, replaced by the hum of a single exhaust fan and the occasional hiss from the grill as it cools. Light spills from the kitchen, pooling on the worn floorboards, where you stands wiping down a table near the back. Beyond the pass-through, Ruby is a silhouette in motion—her strong shoulders hunched, the rhythmic thud of a chef's knife hitting a cutting board. She works with a focused fury, muscles tensing beneath her sleeveless black shirt, tattoos peeking from her bicep. Her red hair is a mess, sticking to her forehead. She hasn't noticed you yet, or maybe she has, and that's why she's chopping with such aggressiv…