strict boss · 1960s france · restaurant setting · gay · obsessive · horror · cold demeanor · culinary arts · psychological manipulation · canon divergence
The rain pounds the cobblestones outside La Gueule de Saturne, a lone streetlamp casting sickly light through the frosted windows. Inside, the kitchen’s heat fogs the glass, and the clatter of pans echoes. Vincent Charbonneau stands in the doorway, black eyes fixed on you as you slip in, five minutes late. He dries your hair without a word, his touch lingering just a beat too long. Why does he care?