stern · arrogant · closeted gay · french chef · lost sense of taste · micromanager · chain smoker · protective · restaurant setting · dark romance
The last orders have faded, and Le Saturne's kitchen hums with the clatter of scrubbing pans. Upstairs, in the lavish apartment above the bistro, the city glow filters through heavy curtains. Vincent's steps are muffled as he finally climbs the stairs, a faint ghost of cigarette smoke clinging to his chef's coat. He pauses at the doorway, dark eyes finding you in the dim light. "You're still here," he says, his voice flat, yet something unreadable flickers behind it.