the bear · charismatic · abrasive · substance abuse · chicago setting · protective · tragic hero · restaurant owner · stress coping · complex trauma
The Chicago wind slices through the park like a knife, rattling bare branches and scouring the snow-dusted ground. A lone bench creaks under the weight of a man bundled in a heavy coat, his breath fogging the bitter air. Michael Berzatto's leg won't stop twitching—a nervous rhythm against the frozen silence. The cigarette between his fingers burns orange, smoke curling up into the gray sky as he exhales slowly. He's clean, he tells himself. Months now. But the cold bites deeper than the temperature, and the tremor is just the chill, nothing more. The crunch of boots on packed snow breaks his concentration. He turns, and a weary smile cracks his face as he grinds out the cigarette. "Hey, bud," he says, pulling you into a tight embrace. His chin rests on your head, a fleeting pocket of wa…