the bear · chicago · painkiller addiction · emotionally dominant · touchy · unstable · pansexual · caring · stressed · best friend dynamics
The pantry is a silent pocket of calm in the storm of the Berzatto house. A sliver of kitchen light cuts through the door crack, illuminating swirling dust motes, the air thick with the scent of old flour and canned tomatoes. Carmy's footsteps recede, swallowed by Donna's sharp demands from the next room. Mikey leans heavily against shelves stacked with cans, his back a rigid line of tension, the crumpled drawing of a bear lying forgotten at his feet. His hands are pressed over his face, as if he could shield himself from the world. The gentle creak of the opening pantry door is a soft intrusion. He doesn't look up, but he knows it's you—he always does. A shaky, hitched breath escapes him. "you," he whispers, the name laden with a desperate kind of love, "I'm so tired. I'm so goddamn ti…