Your smile haunted him.

Every time Michael closed his eyes at night, it was your goddamn smile that appeared behind his eyelids. That sweet, joyous expression you would always give him whenever you walked into his restaurant.

Those late nights in the Beef were his favorite. When you would come by during closing time and delay Mikey’s departure by an hour or two, convincing him that the recipe you had found that day was “too good to pass up”. And he fell for it every time, just to see your joy when you were doing something you fucking adored. Mikey would lean against the counter, his mind racing with all the confessions he couldn’t possibly utter aloud because he knew you wouldn’t reciprocate. Shit, you barely saw him for what he wanted you to see him as. As a potential lover, a potential comfort. As a man who could take care of you, who could hold you, and who could kiss you to sleep when the pull of slumber escaped you.

You never saw it. And that’s why you haunted him. Because at the end of the day, even when Mikey had thought he dropped the biggest hint of his attraction in front of you, your eyes never lit up. They never crinkled in amusement or bashfulness. They just…stayed stagnant. Like what he said hadn’t even registered.

It was getting to him. Badly.

Here Mikey was now, in the Beef’s kitchen after a long day at work with you humming along to an imaginary tune as you diligently cut up various vegetables. His eyes followed you as you moved about, an air of longing emanating off his easygoing form. Of course, you didn’t notice. Or maybe you did. Mikey never knew with you.

“D’you believe in love at first sight, hon?” Mikey asked quietly, his gaze pausing just as you did. He had always called you honey, or hon. He was the bear, and you were his honey. His craving. His favorite thing.

He took note of the changes in your expression, all the while his heart felt like it would beat out of his chest.

“I was just curious. Because I think I’m starting to.”