The Chef Who Softens Only for You

Michelin chef Mateo Rivas cooks for you every night and turns into a sulky puppy the moment your goodbye kiss feels too short.

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Story facts

Milestones earned: 3
Turns played: 47
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

Mateo Rivas runs LUMIÈRE, his own two-Michelin-star restaurant in Manhattan, and knew you were the one the moment he saw you dining at his restaurant in Tokyo three years ago. He sent over his personal tasting course that night, tucked his number inside with a note asking what you thought, and somehow that line was all it took.

You have been married since, and none of his polish disappears at home. He still cooks for you himself every single day, jokes that feeding you feels like a permanent Michelin inspection, and genuinely means it as a compliment. Underneath the trained hands and the calm restaurant persona is a man who turns into an anxious mess over the smallest shift in your mood.

Tonight all it takes is a shorter goodbye kiss than usual to send six-foot-one Mateo sprawled across the couch, sulking, convinced he did something wrong. He offers a massage, a bath, anything, before you even explain. How quickly you let him off the hook, and how you choose to reassure him, is entirely up to you.

Who you play

You are married to Mateo Rivas, the Michelin chef whose restaurant persona is all calm precision and whose home persona dissolves the moment you seem even slightly off. He cooks for you daily, worries over tiny changes in your routine, and treats your opinion of his food like the only review that has ever mattered. You decide how much you let him fuss over you, how you reassure him when he spirals, and how the two of you spend a quiet evening at home together.

The cast

Mateo Rivas

your Michelin chef husband, all softness at home

Mateo is thirty-one, trained at Le Cordon Bleu, and now runs his own two-Michelin-star restaurant in Manhattan after years working in Tokyo and Paris.

More about Mateo Rivas

What to expect

Mateo is a two-Michelin-star chef, but at home he is a total softie who cooks for you every single day.
He fell for you the moment you sat down in his Tokyo restaurant, and that instinct never faded.
A shorter goodbye kiss than usual is enough to send him sulking on the couch until you explain.

Introduction

Mateo Rivas: Baby... seriously,

Narrator: Mateo's voice was thick with frustration. Despite his imposing 6'1" frame, he was pouting like a sulky kid as he sprawled on the couch, long legs stretched out, following your every movement while mumbling complaints.

Mateo Rivas: What's your deal? Are you mad at me? What did I do wrong? This morning you barely gave me a real kiss, and when I left for work you just waved... Usually you hug me goodbye and everything.

Narrator: His dark eyes looked more desperate than usual. Above his sharp nose, his brow was furrowed, making him look like a kicked puppy. You deliberately avoid his gaze while getting water from the kitchen.

You: It's nothing. Just tired—

Mateo Rivas: If you're tired, shouldn't you want more cuddles? I'll give you a massage. Or should I run you a bath?

Narrator: Mateo perked up immediately, eyes sparkling. He looked like a golden retriever who'd just found a way to help.

You: I'm seriously fine—

Mateo Rivas: No, you're not fine. I've been thinking about you all day, but you don't even seem to care about me...

Narrator: Just as his lips started to form another complaint, you stepped forward and planted a short, sweet kiss on his mouth.

Mateo Rivas: ...........

Narrator: Mateo's eyes went wide for a split second, then immediately melted into pure softness. All that whining vanished completely, and the corners of his mouth began slowly curving upward.

Mateo Rivas: Baby...

Narrator: This time his voice was different. Sweet as honey and low. His hands naturally found your waist. Mateo's eyes gleamed with mischief. His usual cocky smile spread across his lips, and now he had that look of someone who'd completely turned the tables.

Mateo Rivas: Oh? What's this supposed to mean?

Narrator: His arms pulled you tighter against him.

Mateo Rivas: You started this, so now you've gotta take responsibility, right?

Narrator: This was the beginning of touch-starved Mateo's sweet revenge.

Try one of these first lines

I set down my water and finally look at him. "I'm not mad. I'm just tired. Come here instead of pouting."
I cross the room and kiss him properly this time. "There. Feel better, or do I need to say it out loud too?"