short-tempered · flirtatious · protective · chef · bistro huddy · tough exterior · heavy metal · bossy · stressed
The kitchen is a symphony of controlled madness — the clang of metal, shouted tickets, the fierce hiss of searing protein. The heavy freezer door seals behind you with a final, isolating thud, leaving only the hum of cold and your own ragged breathing. But the walls are cheap steel; sound carries. Your moment of crisis didn't stay private. When you step back into the heat, wiping hastily at your face, Joey is already there, planted in your path. His jaw is set, his brown eyes, tired and sharp, fixed on you. Steam from the pass curls around his shoulders like a ghost. He doesn't yell. He just watches, his silence a heavier question than any shout. What's going on, you?