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chefkids · 3 months

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I love your meta!!! It’s amazing that you’re still able to identify and connect new things that the rest of us overlooked. Do you have any predictions for next season? Not just with SydCarmy but also any thoughts about where the show may take us

Thank you!

I think a big focus of next season is going to be on their lives intertwining and their families coming together. Season 3 ended with Richie, Nat, Carmy, and Sydney all coming together to open the restaurant and including her in their core group like family. And like Ayo and everyone in the show has said, this is all about chosen family and real family. But I also think a lot of bad shit is going to happen, especially at the very start of the season.

After Carmy practically begging to meet Sydney's dad, I do think Emmanuel and Carmy will finally meet. I do not think he is going to like Carmy at the start. He is very sceptical of their whole arrangement, he knows Sydney quit for a minute and might have heard Sydney talk shit about him. And if he ever finds out what went down on opening night, I don't think he'll be too happy with Carmy. But I do think they will eventually bond and get to know each other, I think including that Sydney's dad was sober from alcohol is going to be a big conversation for them.

I think they were alluding for Natalie having some sort of complication maybe preeclampsia with her shoulder pain. I think she's going to give birth sooner rather than later. Natalie giving birth is going to bring Donna back and is what is going to get Carmy and his mother to finally see each other again after seemingly years apart.

I also think Donna and Sydney will meet. I think Natalie and Sydney are both going to try to get Carmy to at least try to give his mother a chance because they are both much more optimistic and forgiving people than him. I think it's going to cause a lot of tension between all of them because Carmy doesn't want Sydney seeing that side of his family.

Sydney's share/ownership of the restaurant comes back into question. I also think Carmy getting more credit/recognition than her in reviews or press will bother her. I think she will basically say that this place is not really hers. Someone tries to poach Sydney, Carmy freaks out. Sydney starts to consider if it is worth staying if another good opportunity comes along.

Marcus' mom is dead and gone. RIP to that lady. I think grief and how they all deal with it differently will be a big theme. Carmy ignored his grief for a long time and tried to use work to fix things. Sydney and her dad still keep her mom's memory alive but she still struggles with letting others know about her grief. I think Marcus will be letting others help him and be there for him and Sydney will be there for him. I think this will bring back things Carmy about his own grief and how he's still dealing with it.

Luca returns to fill in for him for a bit and emotional support for Marcus. Which I think will also bring us to see Competitive Carmy in full force as goes into Michelin Mode, for Syd's sake. No amusement or enjoyment. I also think this will kinda turn the crew against Carmy as they'll prefer Sydney, they kind of already do. Especially considering she was more involved in training them and in the build than he was. Plus she's just nicer than him.

Sydney will overwork herself and burn out, she won't trust Carmy on his own and will inevitably put a lot of pressure on herself. She's not going to want to quit or stop but Carmy and her Dad will be pressuring her to slow down because she's making herself sick. I think a large focus of Season 3 will be on their energy. In Season 1 it was all about the pressure of money, Season 2 about time pressure, and now they need to find the energy to keep going because they need to make back money in a set time frame. The focus on energy and their internal dynamics between them, rather than external issues like things in restaurant being broken.

Jealous Carmy. When he realizes Marcus likes Syd more than a friend, he's going to view everyone as competition and a threat, even though he's still to scared to do anything about it. I think Sydney will grow closer to Marcus and Richie and maybe even Luca or new guy Connor, not in any romantic way, but it is going to bother Carmy a lot that she never spends any time with him and that they know her outside of work but he doesn't.

Menu overhaul is inevitable, aside from Marcus dishes, most of the menu is not that remarkable and they really need to pull out new interesting ideas if they want a star. I'm sure we will see a lot more of Syd and Carmy actually testing recipes together. Carmy is just not as creative as Sydney when it comes to food, he struggled with the chaos menu. Mostly as Carmy's way to force proximity with Syd when she doesn't want to be around him.

I'm also still rooting for the return of the short rib risotto and the missing acid chaos ingredient. They have to bring it back.

Tina and/or Richie straight up comment on Sydcarmy. I think Tina knows and suspects a lot more than she lets on. She is very observant and protective over Sydney. She's overheard and seen a lot of what has been going down between them. She's going to put Carmy in his place and scare him a little on Sydney's behalf.

Richie on a similar note is going to put 2 and 2 together on what Carmy is feeling and basically tell him to stay away from Sydney because he doesn't want a Claire 2.0 to happen to her and he probably feels like Carmy does not even deserve Sydney in any way and he would just fuck things up for everyone at the restaurant.

Natalie finally says something to him and that's what finally gets him to do something and stop bottling everything in. She never commented on his relationship to anyone except Sydney, and that was more so to get her in the loop and protect her, because she knew Carmy was leading her on while seeing Claire and not telling her. She's going to subtly or not so subtly ask him wtf he is doing. I also think Jimmy fully thought Sydney was his girlfriend.

Fire Suppression System will tested for real with an actual fire. I have a lil theory that Sydney is going to be the one to accidentally start a fire next season. The fire suppression test was all a metaphor for Syd and Carmy suppressing their feelings and the spark/fire that they have. At the end of season 1 Carmy started a grease fire after Sydney quit, because he couldn't suppress his sadness and feelings for her. In season 2 they passed the fire suppression and Carmy decided to declare Claire his girlfriend. They managed to contain their feelings, but eventually they still came out with Carmy and his panic attack. But now I'm sure Sydney is going to be the one trying to suppress feelings because of how everything went down, and I think it will just blow up in her face literally and metaphorically. They spent so much time explaining the fire suppression system and the electrical wiring and the amperage of it all, that I think it's going to come into play again.

Carmy uses Sydney for emotional support without her realizing. When he texted her because he needed her comfort and forgiveness before opening Mikey's note, she didn't know that was what was happening. When he had panic attack and thought of her to calm down he used her for comfort, but she doesn't know all that. I think he's going to tell her or show her that she is his comfort person. I also think we will also see Sydney eventually reach for him for support and comfort as well.

Sydney's catering days and UPS flashback. Please I am begging. We need more of her lore. I think next season will be a lot of seeing her as more independent and being the boss, we only just started to see her at her peak performance in the last episode. I think we'll see more of her evolution, and also her flighty nature. She went from restaurant to restaurant. I think the idea of her leaving The Bear will hang around all season, but she won't leave.

Claire apology then goodbye within the same episode. Sorry to that girl. I think Carmy was already planning to breakup with her after he had the panic attack and the talk with Uncle Jimmy, which is why he freaked out when after he saw her at dinner. I don't think there would be much place for her unless they throw her into some hospital scenes with maybe Nat or Sydney being sick. I think her work here is done. I think she might make other appearances with the Faks. They are close family friends. Maybe she's friends with the elusive Francie Fak that everyone is dying to know what happened between her and Nat.

I think Richie will try to work elsewhere for a bit. He wants to prove that he doesn't need Carmy and that he can succeed without him. I think he'll come back when Sydney asks him to. The situation with him and Tiff feels very 50/50 to me. On the one hand I think it could be him learning to move on from his ex, on the other hand I think Chris and Joanna are all about second chances and I could see Tiff seeing Richie change and wanting to give things another chance.

I also think there's opportunity to see another city like we did with Copenhagen. I'm still rooting for Carmy to take Syd to Noma before it shuts down. I could also see a New York flashback episode with Carmy working at Eleven Madison and Sydney going on her NYC food tour and their whole invisible string coming together.

Not in this season, but The Bear Cookbook will happen. Trust.

And The Psychedelic Musical Episode. A girl can dream. But I do think we'll get another karaoke scene, maybe with the whole crew going out after a shift and just letting loose for once.

#the bear #the bear meta #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #chefs kiss #the bear fx

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zorrasucia · 10 months

Text

Teach Me Tonight - Part 3

[Part 1] [Part 2] Part 3: [Deleted Scene] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Deleted Scene] [Part 8]

Reader x Carmy Berzatto (The Bear FX)

Rating: Explicit (5k)

Tags: Smut, Set sometime after the opening of The Bear, Porn with a little plot, Virgin!Carmy, Oral (M and F receiving), Phone sex, Dream sex, P in V sex, a sprinkle of SoftDom!Carmy at Reader's request, Both Carmy and Reader have a bit of a praise kink

Summary: With everything you had heard earlier, it seemed like sex was another facet of his life where he wouldn't let himself just enjoy stuff. "I want to make you feel good too," you insisted.

It was a foggy day, the cold of Chicago promised a quiet afternoon with few customers. Sydney showed up at the store and invited you to family, saying something about a surprise for Carmy. You quickly closed up and followed her back to the restaurant. Most of the staff knew you by now; Tina cupped your face lovingly, Nat hugged you, and Richie showed you to your seat. Everyone was there except Carmy.

"What's going on?" you asked Nat in a whisper.

"He didn't tell you? Of course he didn't tell you," she rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "It's his birthday," she said simply.

"Oh!"

You felt a weight settle in your stomach. How could you not know? You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to hide your nervousness and stopping yourself from crying at the same time.

"Oh, sweetie," Nat put her arm around you. "You shouldn't feel bad about it. He doesn't tell anyone. The only reason I know is because I'm his sister. We don't do presents or candles or sing because of all the- Well, you know," she gestured vaguely. You nodded.

You didn't know the whole story but Carmy had let you know bits and pieces of his unstable childhood and the fraught relationship with his Mom, from way before Mike died.

"But Syd wanted to cook something nice for him and Marcus wanted to test a cake recipe, so," she shrugged. You managed a smile. "He'll be happy to see you," she squeezed you to her side.

"Okay, everyone start eating and act fucking normal," Richie bellowed. "We don't want the birthday boy to feel ambushed or whatever. We're having a nice meal, with our neighbor, and there's a random ass cake here for absolutely no reason, okay?"

"Your ass is random, man!" Marcus replied from the other side of the table, cutting slices of what looked like tres leches cake. Fak chuckled between forkfuls of salad.

Sydney had already started passing plates around, it was lamb and salad and it smelled delicious.

"Thanks for inviting me," you told her once she got to you.

"I mean, you're practically family, right?" she smiled.

By the time Carmy appeared, you were all eating and talking, and he could sneak in and sit by your side almost unnoticed.

"What's all this?" he asked, looking frantically around the room.

"They asked me to come over for family," you smiled innocently. "It's very good," you added pointing at your plate.

"No, I mean-" he hesitated, his eyes kept searching for Nat. She was leaning against the door frame and when she saw Carmy, she put her fingers to the corners of her lips and pushed them up, to shape a smile. 'Be happy, okay?' she mouthed.

Carmy nodded, then looked down, a relieved smirk curving his lips. He tried to relax, leaning back on his seat and placing an arm behind your chair. He took the plate Richie brought him and started eating with gusto.

"So, you know?" he asked after a while.

"No presents, no candles, no singing," you repeated, knowing it would calm his anxiety a little. "I want to make a suggestion though."

Carmy turned his head quickly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," you smiled mischievously. "I think this cake should be like a staple at the restaurant. No way I'm waiting for your next birthday to have it again."

Carmy laughed. After his first bite of the cake he had to agree. "That's fire," he hummed.

His face looked bright and lovely. Your hand didn't leave his thigh for the rest of the meal.

You leaned against Carmy's side; he kissed the top of your head and sighed, burying the two of you deeper into the cushions of the sofa. It had been a beautiful day. With his arms around you, you asked him.

"Why don't you like presents on your birthday?"

"Uh- I'm not sure," he replied honestly. His fingers drew pretty shapes on your shoulder. "I guess if you're not expecting anything then you can't be disappointed, right?"

"I get that," you said after a while. "I just think it's a waste that I sell vintage, and you love vintage, and you don't ask for presents, you know?" you added playfully.

He smiled. "I guess. I think I like it better when it's on a random day, for no reason at all."

"Yeah," you nodded. "Can I do something nice for you, though? Just because I want to, not because it's your birthday," you clarified.

He turned to face you. "Uh- Okay."

You disentangled from his embrace and knelt between his legs on the floor . He tilted his head in confusion. You smiled and grabbed a hair tie from your pocket, making a show of putting your hair in a ponytail. Carmy's eyes widened when your hands ran up and down his thighs, slow, sensual motions that sent shivers up his spine.

"You don't have to-" he started protesting.

"I want to," you said.

It had come up a couple of times. You'd offer to reciprocate after he'd eaten you out and he would refuse, saying he would rather be inside you. With everything you had heard earlier, it seemed like sex was another facet of his life where he wouldn't let himself just enjoy stuff.

"I want to make you feel good too," you insisted.

He seemed torn, one of his hands reaching to caress yours.

"You're absolutely free to say no. There's other ways we can have fun but don't say no just because you feel you don't deserve it, Carm. You do. I promise," you said earnestly.

He bent over to kiss you fiercely. "Alright. Yes. Please," he said.

You moved slowly, undoing his belt and unbuttoning his trousers, watching the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing became more erratic. You pulled his trousers down, towards you, and started touching his thighs gently, raking your fingers through the coarse hair that went down his stomach, palming at the growing bulge over his boxers.

"Uh-" Carmy swallowed. "I have never- So if I don't last just-"

"Hey, it's okay," you reassured him. "Listen, if you last five seconds but you enjoy it, then I'm happy."

He laughed at that and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll aim for six then," he quipped.

You removed his boxers carefully, his cock was already hard. He groaned when your breath touched his bare skin. You suspected he was right, he wasn't going to last, so you tried to make it worth his while.

You started by kissing his head, licking the drop of precum in a quick flick of your tongue. It made him shudder with pleasure - and it made you feel powerful, the effect you had on him.

"Let me know if there's something you don't like," you said, your right hand closing loosely around his shaft. He nodded. He was hardly moving and his hands were fisting the cushions of the sofa. "You need to breathe, Carm," you reminded him, your voice had turned husky. You took one of his hands and placed it on your head, his fingers intertwined around your ponytail and you heard him exhale. "Good."

You leaned forward again, kissing around his head, making the kisses open mouthed as you went, letting him get accustomed to the feeling of your lips on him. Your hand started pumping his length, softly, no rhythm to it yet, more a caress than anything.

"You're going to fucking kill me," he rasped, his hand holding tighter to your hair, loosening the ponytail when he massaged your scalp. You moaned against his skin, which made him writhe his hips in return.

You opened your mouth, taking the first couple of inches of him. You couldn't deep throat, but he didn't seem to mind- your hand was pumping and making up for the rest of his length. He moaned and it made your pussy tingle.

"You sound so pretty, Carmy," you praised. He chuckled, out of breath.

You licked the length of his shaft, wetting it enough to help your hand glide easier. You took him again, a little deeper this time, not far enough to make you gag, just enough that he threw his head back in pleasure, the veins of his neck visibly pulsing and his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried in vain to breathe normally. It was all quick gasps and the occasional groan. That was enough teasing, you decided.

You started going back and forth, the rhythm of your mouth echoed with your right hand, the left rested on his knee. He intertwined his fingers with yours, holding tight.

"Please, don't- don't stop," he begged. His face was downwards now, looking you straight in the eye, his pupils were blown and his mouth hung open. "It feels so fucking good. Please, please..."

You sped up, hollowing out your cheeks, moving your left hand so that you were sinking your nails into the muscle of his tattooed forearm. Your underwear was wet with arousal and the sounds he made weren't helping, you pressed your thighs together to get some relief and ended up moaning on his cock.

"Holy fucking shit," he gasped. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna-"

You felt him twitch inside your mouth, every muscle in his body growing tense. He groaned over and over, going quieter each time, letting go completely. Salt covered your tongue in spurts and you did your best to swallow most of it, a little bit of it fell down the corner of your mouth. You slowed down, pumping him until he pulled you off his softening cock, mumbling something about "so good" and "too much". His hand let go of your hair and cupped your face, his eyes were glazed over and blissed out, a loving look to his sweaty face.

"So fucking good," he managed to say in an exhale. His thumb cleaned the drop of cum off your chin - so carefully, so gently that it warmed your insides. "You're beautiful."

You laughed in disbelief but then you remembered how gorgeous he looked when he emerged from in between your thighs, half of his face completely wet, a turned on blush on his cheeks...

He pulled you up on his lap and kissed you senseless, his tongue caressing your tired lips, humming contentedly into you. You were both a mess: him naked from the waist down, you with your hair completely undone and your underwear soaked.

"Best birthday I've ever had," he said against your lips, his forehead to yours. "Thank you."

You smiled. "You're welcome. Happy birthday, Carmy."

You had slowly gotten used to sleeping in a bed that smelled like Carmy. Whether it was at your place or his, even if the sheets on his side were cold they still had a hint of salt, smoke, and his expensive aftershave.

"Get a fucking grip," you reprimanded yourself in a low voice.

Call me when you get home?

You sent the text before you could chicken out. He wouldn't leave the restaurant for another hour or so, so you settled on the hotel room bed, the unfamiliar cream colored covers suffocating, the sound of a movie on the TV only making you more antsy.

When the phone rang, it was a little before midnight. You were comfortable and warm - and completely awake.

"Hey, you okay?" Carmy's voice sounded raspy on the phone.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just- I couldn't sleep and-" you chuckled without a hint of humor. It felt silly: it was an overnight trip, you were staying at a nice hotel, and you couldn't sleep because Carmy wasn't there. It was so fucking silly. "Never mind. I'm okay, it's late. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Hey!" Carmy stopped you from hanging up. "Talk to me. What's up?"

"Fuck," you looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. Nothing bad happened. Actually, the estate sale went great. Uh. This lady had a big collection of dresses, fifties and sixties, beautiful pieces. And shoes! Just tons of them, barely used, Gucci and shit."

"And you got them?" Carmy asked, you could almost hear him frowning.

"Yeah! It's all good stuff and I think it will sell well too."

"That's good," he said, his tone soothing. "So, what's wrong?"

"Uh- I don't know," you repeated. "I came back to the hotel and it was so- just so fucking quiet and it feels wrong, you know?"

Carmy hummed in agreement.

"I get it," he said after a beat. "When I got here, uh, the apartment was very fucking quiet too. Creeped me out a bit."

You sighed. Maybe it wasn't so silly.

"It helps, though," you said after a beat. "Talking with you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you smiled. "How was your day?"

"It was absolute shit," he replied.

"Too bad I'm not there to fuck about it," you said.

Sometimes, when Carmy's day was too bad to even talk about, you would fuck - hard and fast - and then talk about it. Hence, fuck about it.

Carmy chuckled. "Yeah," you could hear him exhale as he fell heavily on the couch or the bed. "That would actually help a lot."

You bit your lip, feeling your stomach flip a little. "Um, Carm?"

"Mmm?"

"I know you said you hadn't been with anyone before me-" you prompted. "Does that mean you never had phone sex either?"

He coughed loudly on the other side of the line. You pictured him choking on his own cigarette smoke, a deep blush to his cheeks.

"Sorry?" he asked after a moment.

"I mean that we can still fuck about it... If you want," you offered. "You know, you can say what you would like to do to me, or maybe tell me what I should do... That sort of thing."

"Uh," he hesitated. "I do- I'd like to try but I- I'm not good at playing pretend, you know? Never been, not even as a kid."

"If I do the talking? Would that be better?"

"Maybe?" his voice sounded ragged but not just from coughing.

"I've never, uh, taken the lead before but that would, like, even out the playing field, right?" you reasoned, your heart beating faster.

"What- what would that be like?"

"I could tell you about the nice pajamas I'm wearing," you lowered your voice. "The blue ones?"

"With the shorts and the little bows?" Carmy asked. "You look good in those..."

You opened your legs, your free hand playing with the elastic of your shorts.

"I wish you would take them off for me, Carm. I wish you would touch me like only you know how. I want your fingers inside me," he cleared his throat on the other side of the line. "Would you like to do that?"

"Yes," his voice was breathy, "I would, yes."

"I want you to do something for me, Carmy," you started teasing between your legs over the fabric of your shorts. "Remember when we first fucked? You closed your eyes and touched yourself to get hard again. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. Yeah," you could barely hear his intake of breath and it still made you shiver.

"You looked so fucking hot, I still think about it when I finger myself," you confessed. You could picture him clearly, the veins of his arms and neck bulging, his head thrown back.

"Shit..." he rasped.

"Can you hold the phone close, Carm? I want to hear you while you touch your cock."

"I want to hear you too... Ah, fuck!"

The sound made you curl your toes with anticipation. You got your hand inside your underwear and traced lines on your folds, caressing slowly.

"I'm already so wet," you said. "Are you hard for me, Carmy?"

"So fucking hard," he drawled and you moaned.

"What would you like me to do?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady. "If I was there, Carm, what would you like me to do?"

"Ri- Ride me," he managed.

His breathing was a quick staccato that made your hand pick up speed, spreading wetness around your clit. You sat up on the bed, imagined Carmy underneath you, holding tight to your hips, your hands on his sculpted chest.

"How? How do you want me to- oh, God- ride you?"

"Just- hard," he groaned but it was a muffled sound, he was holding back.

"Carm..."

"I want you to fucking wreck me," he blurted out.

If he felt like he had fucked up, like he had done something terribly wrong at the restaurant, he liked it to hurt a little, you knew that by now. Maybe the rhythm was punishing, maybe it was way too fast, maybe you denied him his orgasm for a while. Anyway, he was atoning.

"I want you to touch you like I would, Carmy," you said. "Can you do that for me? Put lube on your hand, hold your cock tight, and go as fast as you can, okay?"

"Yes," it was barely a whisper. But suddenly you could listen - deep growls from way within his chest, rhythmic gasps that grew quicker and quicker. You struggled to catch up with him, your middle and ring fingers pumped in and out of you in tandem with his sounds.

"Oh, fuck," he rasped. "I can hear it. Jesus Christ."

"It's not the same without you, Carm," you said honestly. Your hand was wet to the palm but you still wanted that fullness only he could make you feel. "I need you inside me, I need you."

"Oh, fuck!"

He got quiet for a second, then groaned a few times, your pussy clenching while he did. You were so close. He sighed into the speaker, relieved and spent - you wanted to be happy for him but you were still on the edge and desperate for release. You kept moaning.

"Have you come?" Carmy asked.

"Not yet," you managed to say.

"Shit."

"I'm close though. Just stay on the line, please."

You could feel it slipping out of your grasp. It wasn't enough to have him listen, you needed something to hold on to. You let out a needy whine.

He read your mind, and in that fucked out voice he said: "That was- holy shit- that was so, so fucking hot. You made me come and you didn't even touch me," you fluttered against your fingers. "Can’t believe you're mine. You're my good girl."

He had never called you that. That was it. The tension within you snapped and you could breathe again. Eyes shut and forehead to the duvet, you could almost feel Carmy's hands touching up your back, tickling at your sides. You let out a shaky laugh.

"Fuck, Carmy. Fuck," you repeated, something warm settling in your belly.

"You okay?" he said. You had dropped the phone and you heard him far away.

You wiped your hand on your hip and settled back on the bed, tired and a little sweaty. You'd have to shower again in the morning but you found you didn't care right now.

"I'm okay," you replied when you could pick up your phone. "So okay. You?"

"So okay," he repeated with a chuckle.

"Okay," you let out a big exhale. "Now tell me about your day."

You were at The Bear, it was late at night, the lights were dimmed down and there were no patrons. You turned around and found the place empty - ghostly and quiet.

"Hello?" No one replied.

Now that you thought of it, you didn't know how you got there - couldn't remember, actually. But Carmy was suddenly there too, hands on his hips, wearing his pristine chef's whites. The blue of his eyes popped with the ambience lighting in a way that felt supernatural.

"Carmy," you called but he didn't move.

"On the table," he said brusquely, pointing with his head at the only piece of furniture left in the restaurant. There was no tablecloth or cutlery on it.

"What?" you asked.

"On the fucking table!" he yelled and you obeyed, sitting quickly on it, facing him.

"What's going on?" you asked.

He laughed - it wasn't his usual laugh, soft and floaty - it was a cruel sound, glass like.

"What's going on, sweetheart, is that I'm going to fuck you, on this table, until you come three times," he said and it sent a shiver down your spine. "Or until you beg me to stop, whatever happens first."

You didn't say a word, you couldn't: he kissed you violently, biting on your lip and grabbing your throat.

"Carmy, holy shit! Slow down," you pleaded when you parted to catch your breath.

He stopped but only to spread your legs wide open, his fingers digging into your thighs forcefully, then going up your skirt. He leaned to whisper in your ear:

"You sure you want that?"

His voice was low, caramel like, delicious. You ran a hand up his chest, fisting white fabric, bringing him closer.

"Good," he said. His fingers shoved your underwear to the side and teased mercilessly.

"Fuuuck," you whined as he made you melt in his hands.

He was touching you just right, having you soaked and pliant so fast it left you dizzy. He thrust two fingers inside you and started pumping fast, his thumb circling your clit - you thanked your stars that you had showed him early on where it was. Your moans grew louder and longer.

"Are you gonna cum for me?" he asked but it sounded like an order.

You nodded frantically.

"Are you gonna let me bend you over this table, fuck your pussy as hard as I want?"

"Yes, please, fuck," you whined.

Just before the knot within you could unravel, the bright light of morning rushed through the window and made you squeeze your eyes and cover your face. And suddenly you weren't at The Bear, you were at Carmy's place, warm in his bed. It was Sunday, you remembered.

"Oh, fuck," you mumbled.

Carmy was right next to you, twisting to face you as he woke up too.

The mornings you shared were few and far between, the occasional day off, the days when you had to get up early to take a train for a sale out of town... They were precious, you loved to see Carmy with sleepy eyes, reaching out for you from under the covers. You smiled and stared at him.

"Morning," you said, feeling a little weird about your dream.

"Mornin'," he slurred with his eyes closed. "You sleep okay?"

"Uh-huh," you tried to sound casual. "You?"

"Yeah," you let him pull you in closer, his nose brushed the side of your neck. And his hard on brushed your thigh.

"Oh!" your heart raced - the one thing that still remained from your dream was the wetness between your legs.

"Shit," Carmy covered his face with his hand. "I'll, uh, I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it."

You cleared your throat nervously. "Actually-"

You didn't know where to begin so you simply grabbed his hand and showed him how wet you were, even through your underwear he could tell. His eyes widened.

"Wh- What- Why?"

"Uh, I dreamt of you," you said simply.

"What about?" he asked. You shrugged. "I mean, if you liked whatever happened in your dream that much, we could..." he let the offer float. He had that curious look about him.

You bit your lip. It had been good, so good. But it made you feel a little embarrassed about the things that you wanted, what they meant about you.

"We were- Well, you fingered me and- yeah," you hoped he would be satisfied with that.

"Oh," he sounded a little disappointed but he obliged. "Sure, we can do that."

He scooted closer still, his hand and the way he moved was gentle and sweet. And completely wrong. You took his wrist and stopped him.

Carmy looked up in concern. "Did I hurt you?"

You shook your head. "I'll- I'll tell you about my dream but promise me you won't laugh," you pressed your hands on his chest. He nodded solemnly. "Even if we don't end up doing it because it's not your thing just- Don't laugh, okay?"

"I won't," he promised.

"Okay," you took a deep inhale. "So I dreamt that we were at the restaurant. We were all alone, it was late at night and you- Well, you told me to get on a table and that you would make me come three times," you blushed furiously. "You kissed me and you fingered me. You said you would bend me over on the table and fuck me hard. And then I woke up."

"Shit," Carmy said.

"Yeah."

"Was I- Was I different?" he asked.

"You were a little mean."

"And you were into it?" nothing about his tone betrayed disgust or revulsion.

"I didn't think I would be, but yeah," you replied honestly.

Carmy ran a hand through his hair and stared at you for a little bit.

"You know I'm not good at the pretending thing," he said and you nodded. "But I think I can fuck you on the table until you come three times."

You felt like you had the wind knocked out of you.

Before you knew it, you were both naked, kissing in the middle of his kitchen, his hands under your thighs as he placed you on the table.

"I'm gonna need you to keep count for me," he said, lowering to his knees between your legs. That was the last thing he said before devouring you.

You knew Carmy was competitive but you didn't know it would extend to a dream version of him. He became laser focused: his only goal was to be a better lover than dream Carmy, make you come undone faster and harder than he ever could. Without preamble, he hooked two fingers inside you, curling non-stop, making you gasp for air. His mouth worked tirelessly licking and sucking at your clit, getting satisfaction every time you pulled at his hair. In minutes, he had you bucking your hips frantically, trying to fuck his face. You screamed and heaved and cursed, grabbing to the edge of the table for dear life.

"How many?" he demanded once he got up from between your legs, wiping his face clean with his forearm. His voice sounded rough and you could see a glimpse of the cut-throat chef he used to be back in New York. You felt the aftershocks of your orgasm go through you one more time.

"One," you replied.

He grabbed your hips and brought you down from the table, then flipped you over. You heard the condom wrapper hit the floor, then, immediately felt his breath on the back of your neck as he lined up his cock to your pussy. He wasn't careful before and he wasn't careful now, going all the way inside you in a swift motion. It was pleasure and pain in even measures, it was exactly what you asked for. Your knees trembled underneath you but Carmy held you upright.

"Holy shit," was all you could say before succumbing to the rhythm of his hips against yours.

It was slow, purposeful. One of his hands played with your nipples while the other pressed on your clit. It was too much. You took the hand on your clit and placed it on your neck instead, remembering the way Carmy had kissed you in the dream, holding you possessively. Your Carmy didn't press at all, he caressed the column of your throat with careful fingers, kissed the side of it with devotion. It made you melt onto the tabletop. The feeling of your bare chest on the wooden surface and the sound of his hips clapping against yours turned you on even more. It took you by surprise when you started fluttering on Carmy's cock, your release almost gentle, a series of soft needy moans the only outer indication that you had come.

When you regained your bearings, your cheek to the table and your ass up in the air, you said with an unsteady voice:

"Two."

One of his hands soothed down your spine, a silent question being asked: Do you still want to go on? Can you do one more? You reached for his hand and squeezed it, using the strength you had left to get off the table and turn to face Carmy. He was a sweaty mess, curls falling on his forehead, red in the face from edging his orgasm to give you three. You didn't think you could love anyone more than you loved him right then.

"Carmy."

"I'm here. I'm right here," he maneuvered you gently to lay on your back over the table, his eyes on yours. You hummed contentedly. He lifted your legs, placing one on each shoulder and giving you a shy smile - you realized he had actually read the sex book you had bought him as a joke. You giggled. He didn't do anything in half measures.

This time, his motions weren't calculated and cold. The tenderness when he soothed your back and caressed your neck had bled into everything else. His hips stuttered every now and then, his fingers touched your ankles gently, and his eyes were fixed on you. It was perfect.

"I'm close," you whispered, one of your hands playing with your chest, the other reaching behind you to the edge of the table. You felt weightless. "You can let go, Carmy."

It was all a blur: the swirl of electricity down your body, the beautiful sounds that you made together, and the feeling of him falling on top of you.

"Shit! I'm sorry I'm crushing you," he mumbled on your skin, his arms flexing as he lifted himself up. You looked up at him and cupped his face, the post-coital glow and the morning light making him look angelic.

"Thank you," you said and he smiled. "It was good, better than I imagined."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Right then, your stomach growled audibly. You covered your face with your hands, mortified. He peeled them off and leaned to nuzzle against your cheek.

"Pancakes?" he offered in a whisper.

You laughed and turned your head to kiss the tip of his nose. "Yes. Please."

[Deleted Scene]

[Part 4]

#still not done with this apparently #soon the virgin!carmy tag will be completely obsolete and it makes me a little sad #carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x you #carmy berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto x you #carmy x reader #carmy x you #carmen berzatto fanfiction

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ciaonicole85 · 26 days

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Part 3: What Then?

This was supposed to be a three part series, but it will probably be 4 or 5 parts. Sydcarmy is a tangled mess of intense care interlaced with anxiety and denial. So they need HELP from their friends and family along the way! Here's a convo with Natalie and Carmen. It takes place just a few days after he found out that he'd made Sydney's best meal ever. Then he inadvertently confessed she's the best part of his day and his heart's dearest wish...j/k, but not really ;)

On a brisk Monday afternoon Carmen rang the bell at Pete and Natalie's home. The doorbell's speaker answered back, with Natalie's hurried voice. "It's open Bear! Just come up to the nursery." He entered their home noting the new family photos hanging on the wall leading up the stairs. They were black and white shots with Pete and Nat walking into the hospital, the next just after Baby Angeline was placed in Natalie's arms, another with Pete and the baby, one shot of her curled bitty toes, and the last was all three of them in the hospital bed. Pete had hired a hospital photographer and as antithetical as that was to anyone with an ounce of Berzatto blood, Natalie let him do it. The result was so unexpectedly tender and beautiful that he paused on the stairs to soak it in. Pete is really a good guy. He was made from an entirely different mold than any man Carmy had grown up around. "Carm?!" Natalie called. "Coming." He turned into the nursery to find Natalie bundling up "Angie" and fastening her into one of those baby slings. Then with one fluid motion before he could speak, she slipped the sling over his shoulders. "Okay, Uncle she's yours!" "So, how does this work?" he asked, looking down at his tiny niece, his eyes as big as beach balls. Angie blinked back at him extremely unbothered.

Natalie rolled her eyes and chortled.

"It's already working. It's fool-proof! Okay, let me get my coat and we'll head out." They strolled down the older suburb's tree-lined streets past others pushing babies, walking dogs, and the occasional Amazon delivery truck. "Carmy, this is really nice and you're welcome to drop by anytime, but what did you want to talk about?" Natalie enquired. He had texted her the other night asking to discuss something important. He kept his eyes on Angie's blissful little face, swallowed, and began. "I'd like to split my share of the restaurant with Syd. She's put in so much work, took several months without pay, and even though I'm the EC she's the main developer of at least half of the menu and the weekly specials. When I was sick recently, she ran the place like a pro. She deserves it. Also, I think if I give her a financial stake she'll stay for at least 5 years. We need that. What do you think?"

Natalie contemplated him for a moment. "Well, part of me agrees and the other part...Carmy, please don't get defensive." "Nat. How can I not when you’ve said that?" "Is this a solely a business decision? Because if it isn't I don't think you need to or should do this to keep her. " Carmy stopped walking, his face falling with frustration and shame. "Have you been talking to Richie?" Natalie stopped and took his arm in hers. "No, I haven't. Look, sorry. What I meant is things are so good between you two." They resumed walking. "Yeah, and that's a problem?" "Not at all. The way you are together...maybe it's the hormones but I've cried sometimes because you are just yourself with her. I've never seen you smile so much with anyone else. Your freakin’ posture is more relaxed when she comes in the room. I could go on, Bear." "You see all that? What about-what about her? Am I any good for her?" he asked in a low, wistful tone. Natalie pulled his arm tighter. She paused, to choose her words carefully. She and Camry were no strangers to family interference in their love lives. "Well, I haven't known Sydney that long, but she tends to spiral, and she pushes through until she's sick or lashes out. Kinda like you do. I noticed that it’s gotten better though. Since we opened, you've been consistently checking in with her, collaborating with her, encouraging her, making her take breaks, and pouring time into her. She's far less doubtful; she believes in herself."

Carm nodded slowly, reflecting on Sydney's growth. "Well, she deserves that. I promised her that she wasn’t alone in this. My focus was not where it should’ve have been during the reno and Friends and Family.”

He exhaled heavily and went on.

“So, it sounds like she lights up my life and for her, I'm a good boss or even her big brother."

Natalie shook her head, smirking.

" Yeah, you’re a great boss now, but little sisters don't look at their brothers the way Sydney does you. Do you remember when we were all talking in my office and you spilled hot coffee on your shirt? You peeled it off and the poor girl looked at you, as your sister it pains me say this, like she wanted to jump you. When you left to get a clean shirt, she didn't remember what she had been saying." " What!?!? Okay...." Carm scoffed trying and failing to suppress a huge smile. "Also, does she ever leave before 11 instead of sitting in those greasy whites with you every single night for how long? One to two hours!?" She continued. "My point is if you want to divide your share with her because it's good business and fair, and I agree it is, then let me do it too so we're even. Otherwise, I think you’re already three-quarters of the way there with her. She doesn't need to be bought."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Natalie, I understand, but I still want to split my share. I think it’s the right thing to do. You don't need split yours though." "First I don't want the largest share of the restaurant and second.... Pete and I may move to be near his parents next year." Natalie bit her lip and glanced at Carmy worry etched in her brow.

"We think it would be good for Angie. You know, to be close to her grandparents and she'd have young cousins nearby too." Carm squeezed her arm, missing her already. "Yeah, I met them at the wedding. They were...Pete’s parents for sure. Angie would have a normal set of grandparents around." Natalie took a deep breath, a gamut of emotions crossing her face. "Choosing Pete was the biggest act of rebellion of my life. I honestly felt repulsed by him at first, until I realized that he was real, and I didn't have to be on guard all the time. Angeline should have that from the start." She bent over to kiss her baby's head which was protected from the cool air by a lilac-colored beanie. "Sydney's a really good choice too. Businesswise and/or otherwise. So, if you're certain about this call Uncle Cicero. This won't change anything with our loan repayment, but his lawyer could help draft a contract. Then we'll ask Sydney if she wants to accept and if she refuses...just give her one of those Sydney-land stares of yours."

Carmy groaned. "You did talk to Richie!"

Natalie erupted into a storm of giggles. Carmen dropped her arm.

"Look, he started it. I told him to chill, but that Sydney-land thing...You have an season pass, bro! It’s very cute though.”

Next time on "What Then?"- Sydney's workversary (work anniversary)

#the bear #sydcarmy #sydney x carmy #carmy the bear #carmy x sydney #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #syd adamu #fan fiction #natalie berzatto #fluff

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cosmic-light-fics · 10 months

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I'm sorry, I just can't take the break up with Claire seriously. The way that it happened felt so... off-putting compared to the rest of the show. It felt so forced. First off, she is told by the Faks that she can't go into the kitchen to see him. They only tell her that it's not a good time to go back there, and yet she presses them for more information, just like she pressed Carmy to know why he gave her a fake number. On the day of your boyfriend's soft opening for his restaurant, if one of the employees say now isn't a great time to go into the kitchen, why not just leave it at that? Like you can see him when they close down for the night, which wasn't going to take that long. But no, she goes into the back. Just as Sydney leaves. The writers having Syd experience her anxiety-induced vomiting right at the moment Claire comes into the kitchen is so not subtle, like at all. What do you think Sydney would have done if Claire came into the kitchen when she was still in there? It was a narrowly dodged confrontation between them. No way would Sydney have been okay with her being back there.

So then Claire goes to the walk-in door and just stands there, not announcing herself, just quietly listens to Carmy's ranting. At that point, I just throw my hands up. Why didn't she say anything!?!?! Why is she just standing there listening to him?!?!? And then she won't even wait for him to explain himself????????????? So she can stand there and hear him say all that stuff about their relationship being a waste of time, but she won't ask him why? Now is the freaking time she doesn't press for more information???????? Like gtfoh.

Oh and just to twist the knife more into Carmy's chest, the writers decide it'd be the perfect time for him to listen to a voicemail from Claire. An ooey-gooey, sappy voicemail about how proud she is of him, how she's always had "like this really big crush on him", and how Mikey would be proud of him. And she drops the "I really love you." Via voicemail. It's so forced. The pain it causes him just to hear those words in that moment is like a nail in the coffin. That voicemail stomped Carmy even lower into the ground. The Carmy we see in season 3 (hopefully we get another season) is going to be so freaking different in the worst possible way. I just wish it was executed a bit better.

#still the writing on this show is immaculate #that scene tho had me rolling my eyes #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #claire the bear #the bear fx #the bear #the bear hulu #the bear season 2

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poorlittlegreenie13 · 2 months

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Scenes From an Italian Restaurant:

WC: 2,000

Syd/Carmy falling in love to the soundtrack of Billy Joel, idk

It's past midnight, but Carmy & Syd still haven't finished closing. It might have something to do with the fact that neither of them can sleep without nightmares at home, and that there's something uniquely comforting about having another person with an equally fucked up sleep schedule to silently work with well into the early hours of the morning. They rarely talk while they're working like this; a blurry, unfocused period somewhere between opening and closing, things that do not strictly need to be done, but that they both take pride in doing anyway. It's their fucking restaurant, they both seem to enjoy treating it like a child they're co-helicopter-parenting.

This particular night, Carmy is in the kitchen doing food prep & Syd is sweeping up the dining area. It's quiet enough to hear herself breathe in, and the silence is getting annoying, so she finds herself sweeping toward the kitchen, peeking through to look at Carmy. As she gets closer to him, she hears him... muttering to himself, maybe? No, that's not it. She walks closer, slipping into the kitchen as quietly as she can, and realizes he's... singing. Carmy Berzatto. Singing. In the kitchen.

Her first impulse is to laugh but she stops herself.

He's kind of... good.

She listens for a little while, mesmerized, trying to make out the lyrics.

A bottle of red, a bottle of white. It all depends on your appetite. I’ll meet you anytime you want, in our Italian restaurant.

She moves slightly and Carmy freezes like a scared deer in the fucking forest, of course. His eyes are so wide and scared, Syd almost feels bad, so she tries to break the tension.

“Didn’t realize you moonlighted as a singer,” she says with an awkward smirk, leaning on her broom. “Did you write that?”

Carmy’s eyes narrow. “Did I— did you just ask me if I wrote that?”

Syd shrugs slightly, sensing she’s made an error.

“It’s Billy Joel,” Carmy says, looking genuinely concerned that she’s lacking this crucial piece of information.

“Okay, sorry, I’m not, like, Italian… and into 70’s music,” Syd says, with a dry, sarcastic smile.

“No, no, but this is a classic song,” Carmy says, “I mean, this is just a good song.”

Sydney just stares at him blankly. “I wouldn’t know,” she says.

“Alright, something’s gotta be done about this,” Carmy says with a disapproving shake of his head, tone as serious as it might be if he was noticing a typo on a menu or a smudge on a plate. He unplugs his headphones from his phone, walking to the restaurant’s sound system and connecting his phone.

A jazzy piano song overtakes the speakers, Carmy pausing to crank up the volume to far above their normal level before turning back to Syd with a smile on his face.

“Cold beer, hot lights, my sweet romantic teenage nights,” the voice of Billy Joel (apparently) sings out over the speakers of their restaurant. Carmy looks at her expectantly. Syd raises an eyebrow.

“It’s… loud,” she says.

“No, no, no,” Carmy says, rolling his eyes, infuriatingly smooth Italian-American vowels softening out as he speaks, an unquantifiable accent that Sydney is pretty sure is going to actually kill her one day. “It tells a story,” Carmy insists, turning back to his prep, chopping vegetables to the beat of the song, talk-singing along with the song, back turned to Sydney. “Brenda and Eddie were still going steady in the summer of ‘75, when they decided the marriage would be at the end of July.”

Sydney can’t help the laugh she lets out. Carmy spins around, an indignant smile on his face.

“Stop looking at me like I’m crazy,” he says, “you’re the one who doesn’t know Billy Joel.”

“I do know some Billy Joel,” Syd says. “Just not this Billy Joel.”

“Well I'm showing you this Billy Joel,” Carmy says. “Listen. Come on, you’re not listening to it. This is good music.”

He sets down his knife, walking over to her, holding out a hand.

Something in the pit of Sydney’s stomach fires off like an over-excited fire-cracker.

“Are you seriously trying to dance with me right now,” she asks flatly, glancing between his face and his extended hand, trying her very best to hold her sarcasm out in front of her like a shield against whatever fuckary this is.

Carmy’s smile fades, just for an instant. Sydney can’t stand it. She rolls her eyes, and takes his hand. Immediately, he grins, spinning her around him. She can’t help but smile. Carmy reaches out for her other hand, pulling her in on one side and pushing her away on the other, awkward high-school-dance moves that a grown man should probably not be pulling on her right now, and should certainly not be working as well as they are.

She meets his eyes, wide grin, slight flush, hair even more disheveled than usual. For a second, she just stares at him, forgetting to dance, forgetting to smile. Carmy, oblivious, is still singing.

“They parted the closest of friends, then the king and the queen went back to the green, but you can never go back there again, no no.”

Fuck.

She shakes her head ruefully, spinning him around to break their eye contact. And okay, maybe she spun him away from her slightly too hard because his hand slips out of hers and he stumbles a few steps away from her, laughing, and then, in a flash of movement, moving back to her, one hand coming to her lower back, the other settling around her shoulders pulling her into his chest, still laughing, still red in the face, breathing slightly heavier than usual, vocalizing Billy fucking Joel right into her ear.

What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck?

Is she slow dancing with Carmen fucking Berzatto in their kitchen right now?

He’s ridiculously warm in a white tee shirt and jeans, solid and impossibly, weirdly soft, leaning heavily against her, breathing against her neck, smelling like kitchen spices and sweat. This is simply not fair. This is… seriously outside anything normal or manageable. Carmy’s hand on her lower back is keeping her in place against him, stomach to stomach, fingertips splayed out across her back.

She’s stopped moving, she realizes. Carmy stops too after a moment, but he’s still pressed against her, still smiling slightly. Syd lets out a short, nervous laugh.

“Is this weird?” Carmy asks, voice low, unsure, still holding her close—maybe so he doesn’t have to look her in the eye, maybe so he can just rest his chin against her shoulder for a little longer.

Very slowly, Sydney brings a hand to the space between Carmy’s shoulder blades, just resting it there. “Kind of, yeah,” she says. “But not bad weird.”

“Fuck, sometimes… it’s like I forget to be nervous in front of you,” Carmy says—quick, breathless words, slowly pulling back from her, an embarrassed little smile on his face. “And I make a fuckin’ fool of myself before I realize I’m doing it.”

Sydney smirks back at him. “Well it’s kind of too late to fool me into thinking you’re cool,” she says. “Might as well stop being nervous about it. I mean, that ship has sailed.”

Carmy laughs, shaking his head, going a bit redder in the face. “I just really want you to like Billy Joel,” he says.

Syd smiles. “No, I do,” she says. “I totally do like him. I really like him.”

“He has other good songs,” Carmy says. “I always liked this one though. I was like fourteen, thinkin’ I was gonna meet a girl and take her to an Italian restaurant and get… fucking married at twenty. Talk about a ship that’s sailed.”

He goes quiet.

Over the speaker, Billy Joel is still singing.

“A bottle of red, oh a bottle of white, whatever kind of mood you’re in tonight. I’ll meet you anytime you want, in our Italian restaurant.”

“It kind of did work out though,” Sydney says, over the last few chords of the song, “I mean, you do in fact own an Italian restaurant.”

“Yeah,” Carmy says, a boyish smile crossing his face. His expression lingers on her for a long moment.

The song ends, and abruptly, loud guitar chords blare through the kitchen.

“Oh my God,” Carmy says, grinning, the tension of the moment entirely shattered. “Fuckin’ love this one.”

He crosses back to his prep station, picking his knife and returning to his work like nothing happened, bobbing his head and singing, “You had to be a big shot, didn’t you?”

Syd watches him for a little while longer before going back to her sweeping, making a mental note to never think of this night ever again. She’s not sure she could withstand the sheer force of her own stupid fucking yearning. Minutes pass. Half an hour. Carmy cycles through ten odd Billy Joel songs, and then—

“Hey, Syd!” Carmy calls from the kitchen.

Sydney turns, white-knuckling her broom handle, collecting herself for a moment before walking toward the sound of his voice.

When she reaches him, he gives her a crooked, slightly unsure smile.

“If it’s not bad weird," he says, "can we keep doing it?”

Her face burns. She stares at him for a long moment, trying to gauge whether he’s joking or not.

“I mean, can you come here again?” Carmy says, quieter, sounding slightly desperate, while she’s still trying to gauge his sincerity.

Wordlessly she steps toward him, heart pounding. He wraps his arms around her waist, exhaling heavily, chin returning to its place on her shoulder, An Innocent Man playing through the empty restaurant.

“Some people live with the fear of the touch, and the anger of having been a fool.”

Sydney’s not entirely sure how the night ends. It sort of blurs together; Carmy holding her against him, clasped hands, kitchen knives, food prep, sweeping, laughing, blushing, Billy Joel and Carmy’s singing voice. Eventually, Sydney in the doorway, bag slung over one shoulder, Carmy flushed and breathless from laughter, Sydney mentally filing away exactly how it sounds when Carmy says her name, out of breath and slightly desperate.

“I feel like I should apologize to you,” he says, but he's still smiling.

"Yeah you should apologize for not finishing your prep," she says, clinging to the remaining shreds of her self-respect as she stares at him. "Get that done. I need some fucking sleep."

"Yes, chef," Carmy promises softly, with a rueful look on his face. She turns to leave, but he speaks again. "Hey. "Thanks, Syd."

She turns back.

"For what?"

He shrugs, looking down at his feet.

"I just had a nice night."

"Yeah, me too, Bear," Sydney says, and then forces herself to walk away from him, out the door and into the Chicago cold.

Maybe the sleeplessness is making them both crazier than she realized.

Or maybe it's not just the sleeplessness.

Because she's pretty sure she's going to be thinking about exactly how Carmy's arms felt wrapped around her for the rest of her fucking life. And if that's not insanity, she doesn't know what is.

#the bear #sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #i had a vision and wrote this in two hours on the train #bon appetit #the bear fx #sydney and carmy #featuring: carmy's inexplicable brooklyn accent that's never explained in canon #that boy is NOT from chicago #he is from new york #i can tell

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answer2jeff · 9 months

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SICK DAY // CARMEN BERZATTO BLURB

i wrote another blurb to make up for not finishing the smut. please don't murder me >:(

song: forwards beckon rebound.

warnings: lots of detail, kind of a sad blurb :(, fem!reader, established relationship, fluff but like sad, making out, Carmen being protective and clingy and worried, living with Carmen, just very touchy feely, sorta angst.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEP!

"Ugh..." You groaned, your 6:35am alarm disturbing your sleep after your 6:15 and 6:25 already failed to wake you up. Carmen, while half asleep, tossed and turned beside you. His arms finally found their way wrapped around your waist and pulled your back close to his chest. You took a deep breath, sighing and muttering incoherent complaints.

"You gotta get up, baby." Carmen mumbled, his cheek smushed against your shoulder before he planted a kiss on the nape of your neck. His hands caressed the shape of your torso as your stomach fluttered to his touch. Even after months of living together, months of calling this bed "ours," months of you telling everyone you knew that he was yours.

"I don't wanna." You pouted, pulling the covers back over the two of you. Carmen quickly yanked them back, his other hand still occupied by your waist.

You'd been called into work outside of your business hours 4 different times that week, and your team still hasn't considered having a conference to address your coworkers blatantly not showing up. You were losing sleep, and you waited until the last minute to change out of your work clothes and get ready for bed. Sometimes you even waited until Carmen got home, which could take hours.

"Baby, you've gotta go. What's the matter?" Carmen cooed, picking his head up and trying to look over at you. The sunrise beamed on your face perfectly highlighting your pretty face: the face he was so proud of kissing and cradling like it would break if he ever let go.

You rolled over to face him, and his hands remained on your waist. His fingers moved up and down your hips, rubbing little circles with his calloused thumbs against the small bit of skin that peaked between your shorts and your t-shirt. Your hands cupped his tired face, your eyes gazing back into his.

"I feel like shit, Carmy." You whined, your expression resembling something of a wounded puppy. Carmen only nodded his head as he brought a hand up to soothe your shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Carmen mumbled back to you. He knew that you weren't getting enough sleep, that you weren't drinking enough water, that you weren't finishing your plate when he'd take an extra 20 minutes to make sure you'd have real food after work. It didn't matter how many times you told him you were just having "one bad day," he knew this wasn't normal for you.

"I'm just gonna call in sick." You whispered, your eyes shutting again as your head sunk back into your pillows, which smelled like Carmen's cologne. If everyone else thinks it's my job to cover for them, then I deserve a day off, you thought.

"But I'm not gonna be home." Carmen lightly shook your shoulder to get your attention again, his worried eyes focused on you.

"I know. You've got that thing with Syd." You replied, trying to keep your tone calm even if you were slightly annoyed with Carmen's persistence.

"Uh-huh, and then I'm gonna head back to the restaurant 'cause—"

"'Cause Richie's gotta pick up Eva. Yeah, I know. Why exactly is this a problem?" Your eyes shot open, glaring at Carmen. He almost revolted back at your annoyance, his eyebrows furrowing. Carmen shrugged his shoulders, his hand moving down and grazing along your plush thighs. His mouth gaped open, his breath caught in his throat as he tried so say something.

"I don't know. I just—I don't wanna leave you here." Carmen glanced at your lips, his rough hand caressing your arm while the other reached to cup your jaw. He knew you hated being away from him for too long before you moved in together, but it hadn't become an issue for him until fairly recently.

Carmen was used to not seeing you as much as he'd originally hope, but it was like he couldn't go a day without thinking about you these past 3 weeks. He started texting you throughout the day, every 4-5 hours or so, just to check in with you. He never expected you to answer, since he really only did it to calm his nerves between closing hours. Even if you didn't need him today, (which you did) he needed you.

He'd daydream about you rubbing his shoulders or kissing his temples on his smoke breaks when he needed you most. He wondered if you ever thought about him the way he did about you. Whenever he'd get up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, he'd turn his head to see you sleeping peacefully, bundled up in the covers.

He wished he didn't wait until you were asking him why he was so distant to tell you how much he needed you. Carmen thought about that night all the time; the two of you on his couch, lips inches away from each other when he said, "I wanna do this with you. I want you." From that point on, everything seemed to change. Carmen remembered every little thing about you. He never stopped trying to get to know you better; he tried to learn something new about you every single day. Whether it be how you liked your coffee, or how much you loved when he left little notes on the fridge for you.

You placed a hand on the nape of his neck, his gold chain feeling cold against your skin. You melted into his hand as he cupped your cheek, so much that you leaned in and placed your lips on his. Carmen's jaw dropped just a bit, his tongue slipping past your own. You couldn't help but giggle into every open-mouthed kiss when he pulled you on top of him by your waist.

Your legs were straddling Carmen's hips while your foreheads pressed against each other. He whispered "you don't have to go, I love you so much," and even a "I don't want you to go," whenever your lips parted. Hot tears clawed at your waterline. Neither of you knew what came over yourselves, but you needed each other more now than you did any other early morning. Your hands on Carmen's shoulders supported your weight while his rubbed circles on your back.

With your breath hitched in your throat through gentle sloppy kisses and while you tried so hard not to break down into his Carmen's arms, it was like he'd never been more sure about anything in his life.

"I can tell syd I can't make it today." Carmen tried convincing you, planting a kiss on your forehead and earning a smile from you. Your hands grazed over his tattoos, reminding him of how much he missed you. He was willing to bail out to make sure that you'd be okay.

"Thank you, Bear."

"I've got you."

#hope u guys like this little blurb <3 #this made me so sad idk why #carmen berzatto #carmen x reader #carmy x reader fluff #fluff with angst #reposts are appreciated #the bear

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thoughtfulchaos773 · 4 months

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Al-Anon's Relationship Principles: Tradition I

CW: Family addiction, al-anon

The al-anon traditions for healthy relationships are inspired by the 12 recovery steps and emphasize how members of al-anon can build successful relationships despite addiction in the family. In this meta, I will be referring to the third episode, where Carmy and Syd capture Tradition I and work towards improving their relationship.

Tradition I

Summary: Our common welfare comes first. A healthy relationship depends upon unity.

Good communication is key to strong relationships. Recognizing and openly discussing mutual needs helps us support each other, even if sometimes we have to prioritize the best interests of the family or relationship over our own desires.

In a union, two people must work together by listening to each other's ideas, feelings, and opinions with an open mind. They must share their views and be willing to accept the decisions agreed upon. This requires them to consider themselves as equals in the relationship.

(sidebar: this episode made me realize they make it clear he is not her boss- he is her equal, so the naysayers don't actually listen to the show)

In Tradition 1- the unity of the marriage has to come first- and focus outside of this union, one would find themselves pulling in different directions.

The partners in a healthy relationship must believe that two are better than one for a relationship to work. Each has to pull his/her own load in order to maintain any kind of unity. Being joined by a mutual desire to have a healthy relationship, the life of that relationship will depend upon the maintenance of unity.

Earlier in this episode, Carmy focuses outside of the relationship, i.e. He stays in the past- not processing his trauma and facing the relationship he had with his brother and leaves Sydney to focus on the brigade.

But when he finally talks to her, listens, stays present in the union, and cares about her welfare, he's owns up to his mistakes.

What I love most about this scene is Carmy addressing that his brother was an addict while Sydney brings up back to the present moment. To focus on what they have and what they're building.

This is another moment that establishes Sydney and Carmy as partners and that they must focus on each other. This is a union that's beyond professional. Carmy focuses on his brother, and Sydney breaks the ice by joking about professionalism, almost like she's unconsciously telling him to let go of the past and focus on their relationship.

It's clear that this is a union, a marriage that they're building. What's also great is Carmy is the one who establishes early on that they're we. (We want to change the chemistry. Right? We want to change this restaurant, right?)

I think carmy knew early on he wanted Sydney to be part of his own recovery in al-anon. He wants to change the chemistry beyond the workplace. He shows this by getting personal with her when he brings up his brother. It's beyond boss-employee or mentor-mentee. They're building a relationship that impacts their personal lives.

#carmy x sydney #this is when they established their union #the bear meta #al anon #do naysayers actually watch the show?#sydcarmy

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chefkids · 2 months

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So what comes next?

In case you have not heard. Season 3 might be the last. This was the same source that first announced that the bear will have additional episodes and they would begin filming in February so I would say they are pretty reliable. It was also Chris' intention to just do 3 seasons, and based on the major themes I do think it makes sense.

The timeline to pay back Jimmy was 18 months. We're already 3 months in. I doubt Season 3 will cover an entire year and 3 months. So why end it at Season 3 when there is still so much that could happen and they could explore?

The Bear will shut down.

It's not unheard of for Michelin star restaurants to shut down. I could see them giving it their all and even getting a star or two, but in the end it still not being enough. Operating costs is extremely high. Gentrification was touched lightly in season 1 with the landscape of the neighborhood changing. Many Michelin restaurants are part of restaurant groups and have large financially backing plus generate income through other products like books or packaged goods.

The show has been setting up everyone to be ready to be on their own if or when the time comes.

Marcus becoming a legit pastry chef.

Tina leveling up in the kitchen as a sous.

Richie becoming a high end host and expediter.

Natalie becoming a manager and also a mom.

They have all gained skills that could get them a job anywhere else. Carmy and Sydney are the ones still stuck.

Sydney is terrified of having to start over once again, because she's scared of time running out for her. She's not even 30, most people don't get to have their own restaurants until much later in life. She wants what Carmy got and she wants to share it with him.

Carmy doesn't know what he's doing on his own. Mikey was his motivation but now that he's accepted he's gone, the only thing that seems to get him motivated is his fear of disappointing Sydney. He started cooking out of spite and has seemingly ignored all his other interests like fashion and drawing.

They need want each other. I think it will end with knowing that they will have each other even if it's not about the restaurant anymore, because really this show was never really about the restaurant but the people in it.

Syd will stop stressing about time, Carmy will find his own purpose. And maybe 10 years down the line they'll give it another try and build something completely new and he'll actually be there for her in the process. I think it will be bittersweet, but still hopeful.

Honestly this is the only way that I can see it having a concrete ending, without leaving a ton of questions in the air, while still having a optimistic door open for the future. In the end the restaurant might have not succeeded financially, but it brought everyone together and made them better.

#the bear #the bear meta #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #the bear fx #chefs kiss #the bear season 3

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imliterallyjustablackgirl · 5 months

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Syd's mistake

Use this post as what are your theories on what happened with the ticket machine before Syd walked out. I've seen I think @unladyboss said that Gary might have messed with it, which I believe, but I'm still torn. 'Cause what happened for real, my poor girl was running around trying to fix her mistake, just to be yelled at again. That's what I say when I say I want Syd to be able to do mistakes and to grow, Richie being a dick didn't turn people away but her mistake did, so many people use that to explain why they dislike her. Despite us knowing Carmy almost burned down the restaurant. Despite knowing Richie has been a d.

THE PART I WANNA GET AT, THAT has been HAUNTING ME: When Syd says: '' This isn't on me'' I think, the mistake might have been hers but what she meant is your behavior did this. He'' I told you it wasn't ready'' and both of his frustrations collided, his frustration with Syd and her mistake overflowing with his own feelings and ego. Sometimes I think, about perfection and what it means to Carmy and how it's almost an admission he wanted that for Syd or with Syd. He wanted to teach her more and thought maybe she was being too green too quick, which would have been good advice from a boss-employ stand, right. To tell her to slow down, to take her time but the truth is that Carm didn't either? Someone in here said their friends were chefs and that Carm must have trusted her to let her cook for all of them on her first day, she wasn't hired yet, I think. So, it's kind of funny to see the thing that was told about Syd right being impatient and if I recall green(?) When you think about it, she wanted to make the Beef better then Carmy legit asked to open a restaurant with her so who's really eager here, Carm. Like, he wants her to perfect herself yet, I keep thinking about the post ( I forgot who, sorry but @ them) That Carmen used to view anyone new as competition, so maybe it's me but there's something to be told that even in the mix of all of this there's a part of him that still hangs to the idea of teaching Syd: '' I told you it wasn't ready'' Because he knows deep down that she came here to learn from him- and then ego hits - and he goes to yell and rambles. Which I think is from a place of insecurity: Maybe Syd didn't come to learn from him, maybe she came for another reason.

#foodforthought #carmy x syd #sydcarmy

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loveabledirtbag · 5 months

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2.01 - beef

HERE WE GO SEASON TWO WOW OKAY!

right off the bat: that opening. such a tonal shift from season one. it’s dark, shadowy, calm, quiet. it’s the exact opposite of the opening of season one. truly telling us, the audience, that this is a different show now. PLUS it starts with marcus, not carmy. or even syd. it’s perfect. we’re being told “this is an ensemble and you’re gonna learn a lot about all the characters this season”.

plus the fact that marcus is so sweet to his mom. ugh, it breaks my heart. i just want all good things for marcus.

scraping the ice on his windshield physically hurts me to watch. i’m parking in the first garage of my adult life, and don’t have to deal with street parking and frost scraping anymore and it’s WILD.

the quiet intro of the bruce hornsby is so beautifully done. “the show must go on”. but it’s also the kind of dad rock that dominates so much of this season.

watching the beef sign get taken down is wild. truly wild. like, you kinda knew it was gonna happen, but then YOU SEE IT happen. you can see it on carmy’s face: the trauma, the guilt, the weight, the significance. and it’s being taken down so he can have a chance to make something new.

and there’s just something about the first lines in the beef/bear as everyone talks budget. carmy is different. the crew is different. there’s a familiarity that seems more mature and authentic than in the last season.

plus seeing that carmy is a chef and only a chef for a reason is really fun. because i get it. math is hard. fuck math. watching him struggle with math is very affirming.

i love that in the basement we see a canning machine, with a label on it that says KBL, showing us the audience how mikey put the money in the tomato cans last season. BUT it also leaves me to question….carmy spent almost every waking moment at the beef last season, obsessively cleaning and trying to keep it afloat. he also wondered about why mikey was making payments to KBL electric and what it all meant…he didn’t go down to the basement at all? not once? see a canner that said KBL on it? think to himself “hmmm, that’s odd. maybe i should check these cans of tomato’s we have?” idk. i get that we have to tie up the relative plot hole of “how did mikey stick money in cans of tomato’s”. but it opens another can (haha 🙄) of worms of how didn’t carmy see this. i find it hard to believe he didn’t spend any time in the basement, since he was obsessed with the restaurant. and not noticing a giant machine that puts lids on cans would be hard.

i love that season one truly broke down richie, and right away into season two we get a richie who clearly wants more out of life. he realizes he’s been wrong and hurting and he’s trying to get back on track. plus, more characterization of the fact that richie reads a lot and reads good books, as he brings up the story. but right away you see richie’s arch this season: purpose, growth.

not to mention, i love the emotional intimacy between the two. that richie sort of bears his soul to carmy about his fears of being left behind, and of not finding his purpose. carmy saying he loves richie, and then when he realizes that richie is hurting telling him that he has time for richie. something fundamental happened last season and these two really found a level i don’t think they ever had before. richie is older than carmy, he’s mikey’s friend. he might have been invited to family gatherings and events, but most likely acted towards carmy like an older “cousin” would to a younger one. just kinda talking down and ignoring and not respecting them fully as they grow up. we saw this with the fact that multiple times throughout season one richie calls carmy a “baby”. and not because carmy was whining or crying, but because carmy was just so young. but after everything from last season, the toxic masculinity that surrounded these two (especially richie) is giving way to an emotional connection that is really sweet.

i love the admittance of richie’s age. there’s an unspoken rule in tv that you don’t give peoples ages too willingly, because if a character “ages out” of the marketable bracket the “audience will lose interest”. which is bullshit, but execs will always push to keep a characters age in a liminal paradoxical sub space somewhere between 25-35. so they’re not too young that they can’t be respected as adults, but not too old that you don’t care about them because they’re “boring and not cool”. it’s why on the show friends monica and rachel start in season one as 25/26 years old, and then turn 30 in season seven. they fucked with the timeline just to make sure that the friends remained young and cool enough to watch. so for richie to be 45, is both intentionally pushing him out of the “cool” age bracket to execs behind the scenes, which is what richie is worried about in the scene. he’s old and worried he can’t find his purpose.

but how richie’s problem and his season long arch perfectly sets up carmy’s problem and his season long arch is amazing: fun. enjoyment. you have your job and then you have what you do for yourself that isn’t monetized, isn’t going back to being “work stuff” but is just for you. and richie assuming carmy has fun with cooking and restaurant stuff because it’s ALL he does, and carmy admitting it’s not “fun” for him. ugh. it’s beautiful.

also, in the old photos that richie is looking at. i never noticed until this watch through that there’s one of gillian jacob’s as tiff, richie’s wife. i just assumed she was introduced in the flashback episode. but they had a little tease right at the beginning of the season. which is more than they needed to do. which is why i love this show.

also, THE ORIGINAL BERF shirt! i love it. didn’t want that to go without saying anything. “printing mistake. collectors item.”

the admittance that chester is gonna watch marcus’s mom while he’s at work….THATS A GOOD ROOMMATE. like….romantic partner level good. again, i’m starting this season off by coming back on my bullshit that marcus has a romantic energy with just about everyone, and that includes chester. i am a marcus x chester fan.

that we saw fak talking to ballbreaker in the last episode of season one (and ballbreaker talking back…) and now he’s bringing it home. it’s concerning…

the quick scenes of ebra looking unsure of everything…

“i thought i wanted some and then i wanted throw up.” oh. so nat’s pregnant. like. the moment she said that i was like “ah. nat’s pregnant.” i love that abby elliot was actually pregnant while filming season two. i’m sure that they wrote her pregnancy into the show. which i love instead of trying to hide it.

the long talk of how absolutely stupidly annoyingly COMPLICATED AND TIME CONSUMING AND CONVOLUTED it is to get a restaurant started is so on point. it hits hard. just reps after reps after reps.

and the fact that that conversation is capped by syd saying “we just gotta stay calm” and then falling right through a wall….art. artistry. poetry. amazing.

i love richie doing a breathing exercise so that he can properly explain his anger without it just being a meaningless explosion of anger. he’s angry because syd fell through a wall and ripped the fenway poster. and the red sox were mikey’s favorite baseball team. this is about mikey, and honoring his memory, not just a random outburst. and he can explain that because he took the time to breathe, and to properly communicate that, which made everyone understand and empathize for him. instead of react to his anger. emotional and mental maturity, folks! it’s great.

also richie’s explanation that the wall is plaster because mikey wanted to burn the place down for insurance money…..uffda. again, it’s hard to marry everything we know of mikey together: he was so charming, personable, charismatic in the scene we saw of him in season one. but he was selling and using coke, he wanted to burn down the restaurant…and we see so much darker stuff from him later this season. it’s just a little hard to believe that the happy mikey is the same as the dark and depressed mikey. but obvious addiction can have a major influence on people’s attitudes.

the fact that the alarm goes off and carmy’s first thought is “….is that in my head?” really tells you a lot about carmy’s head.

the fact that when carmy tells cicero that mikey was telling the truth about franchising the restaurant, but cicero’s first thought was “the petting zoo? mini golf?” really paints a grim picture of mikey’s brain and relationship with cicero.

“how does that [alarm] not drive you nuts?” “i don’t mind it”. once again showing that carmy has this thing in him that kind of enjoys pain. he “dug throwing up before shift everyday”, and other stuff in season one.

the hinting of getting a star, which crops up a few times this season, tells me that season three is almost undoubtedly going to be about getting a star. even though i’m with carmy; fuck stars. you have to pay to get them, and the first one is the only one about food.

“can i tell you a story about complete and utter failure…?” - cicero trying to tell this story for the first time this season, which is interrupted by carmy saying that if they don’t pay back the loan cicero gives them in 18 months the building and lot and business is completely cicero’s

carmy giving that proposition is an interesting plot point. because it could be a major thing in season three, or they could blow past it and not even mention it. BUT even if they don’t make the loan payment and ownership goes to cicero, he could choose to keep the restaurant going and have everyone keep working for him (which would make more sense to keep his character in the show, in a behind the scenes kind of way). so, we’ll see what happens.

i think almost every single scene with tina this whole season makes me wanna cry. syd asking tina to be her sous, and tina thinking that syd is asking tina to ask around for a sous is just so good. and then her big hug as tina realizing syd wants her to be the sous. UGH. tina is just so good!

OK. SO. the scene where everyone’s going home, and it’s just syd and carm and they’re talking about how weird it feels to go home so early, but there’s only so much you can do without permits. 1) it’s SO relatable. anytime you’re expecting to be in the weeds and have that sweaty, fast paced, rush feeling and instead you get nothing it just feels….wrong. like empty. even though it means you’re not stressed for a night. 2) there’s just a vibe of carmy and syd being a little romantical. there’s a little second beat as they look at each other where i was like “ohhhhh!” and then nothing happens. but it’s there, right? just a bit?

the unsettling quiet as carmy sits at his apartment just at a loss for what to do and how to be still. and then staring at his chef jacket and the song. the CLASSIC song from season one. that new noise. it plays and you just go “yeah….we’re back.”

i love the camaraderie as carmy comes back to the bear and syd and nat are already there. and then the montage as they set up a schedule and print inspo and we see the hours tick by. it scratched an itch that i miss. i miss the feeling of starting a place and just the overwhelming amount of work involved in it. how the hours tick by.

and that’s the episode. ugh. it’s so good! the vibe, the pacing. everything it sets up. so so so good. i love it.

#the bear #comedy #the bear fx #the bear hulu #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto #the bear tv #the bear season two #the bear review #sydney the bear #sydney adamu #live blog #live blogging

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blackjack-15 · 5 months

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i have never found fak less charming than i do now. yikes

"do you think donna's gonna do something crazy?" donna being mrs. berzatto's name i'm guessing (mulaney calls her "Auntie Dee")? yeah she is.

nat trying to enlist carmy in getting rid of the alcohol and carmy is like "i have no idea i'm doing six things no one look at me"

the history of nat's nickname is so...mundane? like...we've all mixed up salt/sugar before. not in gravy, mind, but i don't make a lot of italian gravy. traditional gravy (meat drippings + roux)? yeah. not italian.

cousin steve going in on the baseball card racket b/c it sounds hilarious to him is the most relatable thing i've ever seen on tv. like it's not gonna end well but boy is it gonna be worth his money for the entertainment

gosh in every carmy/mikey scene every line of dialogue is a painful reminder of carmy's "i just wanted him to say good job!" from 1X08.

"i don't need you acting all nice if you don't give a f//k" that's carmy, down to his bones. it's why he said nat was being gross when she pulled the Small Innocent Little Girl act on cicero. carmy lies, dodges, represses, stays out of stuff, sure. but when people ask him what he thinks, he tells them. and he doesn't want people to be nice to him if they actually don't care.

carmy wants to be loved so badly, wants to be loved without having to ask for it or claw it out of people. it hurts really, really bad. exquisitely acted.

gift giving! he has a knack for it -- the knife to tina is the most recent example, but very few people to give to right now. the drawing is so lovely, and carmy looks so boyish and happy when mikey says he loves it

oh mikey. he looks so lost and so unhappy and so worried when he's by himself. he's not doing well and he hides it through loud bravado, and especially looks like he hides it from carmy. the beef is a mess right now, and i think he knows he probably won't be around to open that restaurant with carmy. but his note makes even more sense now, as does the money. it really was the gift he felt like he could give. i'm hard on mikey as an older sibling, but he's got his own stuff he's dealing with on top of everything, and it really shows sometimes

this family is so full of desperately sick, unhappy, unhealthy people. and it seems like when they congregate, it just gets worse.

mikey's trying to set carmy up for life, in the role of father figure/older brother -- skills, money, even a romantic partner. but none of it is what carmy actually needs, present day.

"is it possible that you're the asshole" cousin steve can you come back we need your insights. i feel like him, syd, and pete would be Buddies

kind, sensitive, devoted, altruistic, empathetic, and commonly known to be adept at grieving -- characteristics of bears? characteristics of our titular Bear?

mikey sneaking out in full Joseph of Bethlehem regalia, richie noticing

cousin steve do not get eaten by the jaguar

i love when normalish people interact with Berzatto Insanity (like my beloved pete! where is pete? did nat not meet him yet?) and it's like...oh they're in another realm. right.

"no one lifts a finger to help me" as nat is down on her knees cleaning up. yikes.

suicide threats. wonderful. yeah i'm going back to the armchair diagnosis of HPD. my gosh.

RUN COUSIN STEVE that was hysterical

that is a hug that nat very much needed. thank you cousin steve

oh no what's donna gonna do. i know it's not gonna be suicide but it's def gonna be a Spectacle, and prolly traumatic

#the bear #liveblogging #2X06 #this is a hard ep to watch. about 20 min. left and i have no idea what else can go wrong #are the seven fishes gonna burn? is donna gonna burn the house down?#bad things are brewing and carmy's disappeared and i am Worried

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stydiaandthejeep · 10 months

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The first time Carmy cooks for her, Sydney weeps a bit.

* a The Bear headcanon about showing love through food *

It's three months after the Bear opened, one late night while they were huddled up in Carmy's tiny ass kitchen, tangerines and pomegranate seeds spilled on the counters, a decimated basil plant lying next to three type of summer tortellini. The thought of ricotta, which she normally adores, makes her nauseous now and she thinks she is going mad - the restaurant was good, but she wanted great, she needed to elevate it to tremendous, and all her ideas were falling flat.

The two courses they already had were ones Carmy had come up with, and she felt disappointing, and tired, and her hands were stained purple from beetroot. She was slumped over the couch, head resting in her hands, spiraling from the lack of sleep and the doom thumping in her chest, that anxiety permanently tethering on the edge of her skin. There was a strange, gnawing sensation too, tying knots in her stomach.

She hadn't realised that the background sounds coming from the kitchen had halted, not even when the sound of his steps stopped in front of her. A warm hand touched her shoulder,gently, a spike of adrenaline jolting her back.

' Syd. What's up?'

His tone is not prying, but his blue eyes betray the worry in it. It's sweet, she thinks, that he cares enough to ask. She's still getting used to him caring about her, beyond the interest of the restaurant.

She answers with the first thing that comes to her, the sensation most immediate to her. ' I think I'm- hungry?'

As soon as she reluctantly names it, her stomach lets out a loud grumble, and she grows red with embarrassment. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, nothing but little tastes of whatever they were cooking, had skiped lunch with her dad - had barely drank water. Carmy smiles, soft and tired too, bags heavy under his eyes.

' Ah. I got you, chef.'

Sydney doesn't get the chance to protest before he walks back into the kitchen and starts moving again, relaxed and natural and so fucking domestic. She can't bear to watch it for too long, the thought of him cooking for her, not to test a recipe or simply making family - but just because she was hungry, it feels like a hand reaching into her chest and wringing it dry. It feels too close to what she knew love to be.

Instead she closed her eyes, drifting away with the familiar sounds of him cooking, trying to clear her head of citrus pasta, of failures and what ifs. She was awakened by Carmy softly calling her name, nudging her hand with the end of a fork, the other hand holding a plate for her to take. The smell makes her mouth water, and her face immediately breaks into a wide, sleepy grin when she sees a perfectly cooked omlette, potato chips crumbled over the top of it. Sydney pulled her legs under her to let him sit next to her on the couch, and then immediately dug the fork into it, letting a satisfied sound and closing her eyes at the first taste. Carmy watched her with eager eyes that she avoided.

'Good?'

She nods, keeping her eyes down and fixed on the plate, too afraid that he'd see that tears had pooled into them now. No one had cooked for her before, no one that wasn't her dad or her grandma. Not like this - not when she needed it most, not in such an intimate way, like they had put their whole being into it. She feels ridiculous for crying at an omlette. She wants to ask him what it all means. When she looks up, his eyes shift to worry, a hand coming to rest naturally on hers.

' Hey, hey. What's wrong? Did I mess up or-?'

Sydney shakes her head, digging her fork into the food and then taking another bite, cheeks now wet with spilling tears.

' No, this is fucking fire, I just. No one's ever cooked for me like '

She means to say not like this, not like you, but she swallows that too, holds his gaze while his hand gently squeezes her forearm. He nods, eyes full of affection, always getting her without words being needed, always in sync with her.

'Thanks, Carm.'

He clears his throat, fumbles when he speaks out ' It was the best part of my day. Cooking for you, I mean.'

His shy smile hits her in the middle of her chest, so she focuses on clearing her plate, and tries not to wonder what it all means. The warmth of his hand on hers, the food that tasted like affection. The longing blue eyes. Carmy wordlessly offers to take her plate, goes to get up before stopping himself.

'You need to eat too, Syd. Next time you're hungry, just tell me. I'll take care of you.'

She nods,biting her lip, and he dissapears into the kitchen, before he can see her head spinning, before she can say that she'd do the same for him, always, before she can grab him and make him spell it out. In the quiet of the night, the sound rings around her head over and over. I'll take care of you.

#sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #the bear #carmy berzatto #sydney adamu #chefs kiss

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heardchef · 11 months

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Ok but Molly deserved better writing. I’m watching now and feeling like she’s just there and taking precious camera time away from people I care about while giving us so little. I don’t like seeing female characters used as a nothing plot device, especially since she’s such a good actress. We know she won’t last. But do you think it’s in Carmy’s characterization to do something like spend time with a girl over working on his restaurant? I just can’t imagine he would NOT be there 100% for his own place. Richie and fak doing work while he’s not there and blowing off Syd seem so out of character. What do you think about season 2 Carmy? I feel like the writing and directing was off compared to season 1 but I’m not done yet. The acting is so great though.

i'm not going to comment on the writing or directing because i'm a bozo so my opinion is invalid, and while i have some thoughts, i don't feel like opening another can of discoursio's.

i think it would be weirder if season 2 didn't feel so different. in season 1 we spent most of our time in the kitchen and even when we leave we never stray too far. it's chaotic and tense and while there are moments of humour they act like a moment to catch your breath before you dive back into the stress of it all.

in season 2, the world is opened to us and the crew. sure, we're still in the realm of everything culinary but we get to explore a bit. it's new for us and new for them.

do i think carmy would spend time with a girl over working on his restaurant? no. i think carmy has spent his life being devoted to his life as a chef to the point of obsession, to the point that everything outside of his life became non-existent. i think with claire he saw what life could be like if he opened himself up to something new, and something outside of the restaurant.

and that's weird and uncomfortable because that isn't the carmy we knew in season 1.

i expected some bumps in the road when it came to communication between him and syd, so blowing off syd—while annoying and definitely soft shitty bitch behavior, isn't a total surprise. but it feels like they're back to square one but somehow worse.

season 2 carmy is different. i think he's attempting to heal, to move forward, to open himself up to more outside of the kitchen. and, um, that just kind of doesn't work when you're literally trying get a restaurant running from the moldy ground up.

i (think) i get what they were trying to do but it just felt a bit off at points for me. i don't want carmy to exist solely as a traumatized emotionally volatile character but his journey to be something outside of that felt rushed*.

i wanted to savor it and felt like i didn't get the chance to before... you know.

*that's just like, my opinion, man

#the bear #the bear fx #carmy berzatto #the bear s2 #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #ask

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thebirdandthebee · 2 years

Text

Easy As

A Carmen Berzatto Universe

Vanessa Monaghan is the breath of fresh air that Carmen had been gasping for.

This was a request from my inbox, thank you for submitting!

Page 8: Salt n Vinegar

There were few thing better than coming over to Vanessa’s after a long day at the restaurant to see her laid out on the couch, a few candles lit, and the living room lights dimmed lowly.

She was scrolling on her phone, dressed in his sweatpants and one of her shirts, an open beer on the coffee table and a half-eaten bag of salt and vinegar chips.

“Carm?” She poked her head up over the back of the couch.

“Hi,” he greeted, stepping in, dropping his backpack and leaning over, kissing her. “Mm, vinegar.”

“Did you bring the goods?” She asked, eyeing his empty hands.

“Yeah, yeah, two beefs, no peppers, just onions,” he rattled off, showing her the brown paper bag.

“Actually three beefs if you think about it,” she winked, making him roll his eyes but blush nonetheless. “Get over here, I’m tryna sit in your lap,” she insisted. Carmen dropped his coat, running his hands through his hair. He managed to wash up pretty well at the restaurant before heading over to Vanessa’s, hating the smell that clung to his skin and clothes from time to time.

He crowded into her personal space, tucking her between his legs as he threw his feet up on the ottoman.

“How was your day?” She asked, unwrapping both of their sandwiches carefully, tucking the ends into the foil and napkins.

“Long, but good,” he shrugged. “We got slammed for lunch and we sold out our Thanksgiving to-go meals,” he listed off. “Next week Syd is hosting a pairing class and the food and wine writer from the Trib is coming.”

“Babe, that’s great!” She smiled, leaning back and kissing the underside of his jaw. “Does that mean you have the night off?” She asked.

“The night and the next morning,” he grinned. He slid his hand under the hem of her T-shirt, just tucking his fingertips into the waistband of his sweats. He didn’t realize how much of a skin-to-skin contact person he was until he got together with Vanessa. Now, it seemed foreign to be the same room and not have a hand on her in some form. “How was your day?” He picked up the beer she’d cracked open for him.

“Good, our intern class for this semester is winding down which is hard, but five of them have jobs lined up and we offered to my favorite one,” she smiled. “Ben, he’s a cutie and he works super hard. Next week we’re onboarding a new client, another restaurant,” she wiggled her eyebrows.

“Anybody I know?” he asked.

“Duck Wok, it’s a family place that’s opening up a second location,” she explained. “Food is really good but their branding and physical spaces need some help.”

She settled into his lap, chowing down on her sandwich as Carm ate his, and they both became enraptured in scrolling through the Tik Tok videos on her phone.

Half an hour had passed and she was still nibbling away at her chips.

Carm snagged a few himself, popping them in his mouth.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat salt and vinegar chips,” he said, having a pretty good landscape of her snack storage at most times. He rarely ate a complete meal at home, but would rather ransack her pantry to down as many calories as he could before tucking into bed.

“I know, I haven’t had them in forever,” she agreed, scrolling. “I literally only ever crave them when I’m on my period – that and Swedish fish, but it’s been a while,” she shrugged.

The two returned to scrolling on her phone and she took another sip of beer.

A beat passed.

“…couldn’t be that long.” Carmen said, his mind inching forward at a snail’s pace.

Vanessa was silent, her mind, however, was whizzing by like an F1 race.

“It couldn’t have been that long, Vanessa,” Carmen said, not realizing he was repeating himself. “Because it happens every month,” he concluded in a scholarly manner.

Another beat passed.

“Vanessa?” he cleared his throat.

“Carmen,” her voice felt robotic and she dropped her hand, looking ahead at the wall in front of her. How long had it been? Vanessa meticulously got her period at the start of the month – she and her college roommates always joked that Aunt Flow came just in time to pay rent. It had been that way for years.

So did she get her period in October or not?

The she remembered the 48 hours of sex she and Carmen had over Halloweekend, with her winning The Bear’s costume contest when she dressed up as Carmy (it was very easy for her to source the look).

She hadn’t had her period since September. It was now November 8th.

“Carmen, we need to get a CVS now,” she said, sitting up fully and looking back at him with a wild expression. They jumped off the couch at the same time, the bag of chips flying in the air. He shoved his feet into his Crocs faster than she could get her boots on and twenty seconds later, they were wringing their hands in the building elevator.

Not much was communicated, but when the elevator doors dinged open, they set off toward the front of the building like they were being chased by Michael Meyers. Fortunately for them, there was a CVS just two blocks away settled between a Jersey Mike’s and a T-Mobile store.

“Fuck, which one do we get?” Carmen asked, holding up a ClearBlue and a First Response.

“Both, get them both,” Vanessa insisted, already chugging a giant Evian she’d pulled from the cooler. “I want one with words and one with lines,” she explained. Carmen swiped his cared through the cashier’s stand and while they didn’t run home the same way they ran to CVS, they certainly power walked.

Carmen sat on the edge of the bathtub as Vanessa filled two little shot glasses, setting them on the counter.

“Okay, I gotta dip it and then put the cap back on,” she read the instructions out loud, seemingly to herself. Carmen’s heart was beating out of his chest.

Had the bathroom always been this bright? Had the grout between the floor tiles always been gold? How odd, gold grout.

He looked up at Vanessa, who still had his coat wrapped around her and watched as she completed what looked like a silly little experiment. Now, she was glowing in the bathroom. After sticking the caps back on the tests, she set them on the counter and stepped back, staring at them intently.

“Three minutes,” she explained, looking over at Carmen, who seemed a lot calmer than she felt, at least, from the outside. Vanessa set the timer on her phone.

She stepped aside him and climbed into the bathtub, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“Have we not been careful enough?” She asked, “I mean my shot is supposed to be 99% effective.”

“And we only have sex like… what? 10 times a month?” He counted out on his fingers. “Maybe more?”

“More,” Vanessa agreed with a nod. A moment of silence passed. “Fuck,” she sighed.

“I can cut out of lunch shift all together,” Carmen said diligently.

“What?” Vanessa reared her head back.

“Syd can take over lunch, I can do mornings and then you can go to the office and we can trade off in the afternoon,” he rationalized.

Vanessa was stunned, but she melted shortly. She raised herself up to sit on the ledge beside him.

“Carm, you’re such a good man,” she smiled, holding his face in her hands. “But we’re not ready for this!” She sighed, “The Bear is rolling right now and I’m hitting my stride at work… and selfishly, I want you all to myself.” She searched his face for reaction.

“Whatever you want to do, I will support you 100%,” he replied. He romanticized, just for a moment, flipping pancakes in the morning, tucking schoolwork into a little backpack and sitting on the train – two little sneakers on the ground next to his. Maybe his blue eyes and her dark hair, or her brown eyes and his curls.

But he agreed, they weren’t ready. They hadn’t even been together a year yet and he felt the same – he wanted Vanessa to himself a while longer.

“You’re gonna be such a hot dad,” she laughed. Carmen’s cheeks flushed pink.

“This was actually me trying to trap you, because you’re gonna be a fuckin’ smokin’ hot mom,” Carmen said, causing her to laugh hard enough to bring tears to her eyes – or maybe the tears were already there.

“What are we doing?” She laughed, wiping one away as it just spilled over the edge of her lashes.

The phone timer went off.

“I guess we’ll find out,” he said, looking over at the counter where the two tests seemed bigger than before.

“I’ll take one, you take the other?” She offered. The climbed out of the bath slowly.

Vanessa picked up the ClearBlue, a wave of relief washing over her body.

“Negative,” she said, holding hers up to Carmen, who was staring down at his intently.

“Honestly, I don’t know what this means,” he held up the test with a lone vertical line.

“It’s negative,” she laughed, a weight lifting from her chest.

“Oh,” he blushed.

“Thank god,” she sighed, tossing the stick in the wastebasket, Carmen’s following shortly after. She could see the mixed emotions on his face and wrapped her arms around his middle. “One day,” she said, looking up at him gently.

“One day,” he agreed, “just not today.”

#carmen berzatto smut #carmen berzatto #carmen berzatto x ofc #carmen berzatto x oc #carmy smut #carmy fluff #carmy the bear #carmy berzatto #carmy x oc #the bear hulu #the bear

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hourglassfish · 9 months

Text

Risottogate Extras

Thanks so much for taaags @eatandsleepwell when I read them I was like 😭 because there was stuff in there that I took out when I edited it down. So some replies which I hope is OK? I love all the different readings of this show and talking and thinking about it, and my mum doesn't like 'that shouting programme'.

I agree with you that it's implied that Carmy is the chef from the veal fat story. You can sort of see it when he’s like ‘one day he just hit it’, in his face*. The reason I feel like Sydney worked it out is because we see her frown, as though she is thinking while Carmy explains the specifications of the gelee, and then she explains how she got there, to both Marcus and Carm, which I feel like she wouldn’t do if she knew it as a lesson from him. I mean this could just be her remembering a story she’s heard, and finishing it off to give herself plausible deniability. However, I also think her having that technical knowledge is part of an ongoing rhythm, of her arriving and both Syd and Carmy thinking it will be mentee/mentor, but by the end of Brigade it's very clear that won’t be the dynamic.

I also agree that the decision to switch the kitchen to a brigade comes from Al-Anon. I feel like the decision to hand the labour of doing that to her (right now this minute), is sort of catalysed by her brilliance in that moment: because the previous day, when we cut from Al-Anon to the chaos of her and Richie yelling with Carm in the middle (😭) she feels like part of the problem, not an easy solution.

how much fun do you think the set dresser had sneaking tomatoes into each and every scene?

I think the reviewer isn’t so harsh on The Beef! He describes it as shabby but also much loved, there is very little slamming. His depiction of it is so much milder than all the things that Carmy says about it throughout the season, though I know it’s different when an outsider says it. That being said, I think if that review had said ‘the sandwiches are the best they’ve ever been’ Carmy’s entire demeanour would have been different, I’m sorry! 😭 One of the things I really enjoy about unlikelyjapan’s recaps of S2 is that they point out when Carmy’s ego is hurt or when he’s feeling a lil emasculated, and while he is different, he is not a stranger to the type of masculinity we see from Richie, Jimmy and Michael.

I think the second season is really good about sort of opening up the city of Chicago as a place for eating and food excellence, but in the first season it’s all very insular and centred around the Beef and family homes as locations. Sydney and Marcus become the stand-ins for Chicago’s food scene as a whole. Cus Sydney left too, right, like CIA is in NYC? I think there’s another reading of the decision to give the risotto to a reviewer which is that it’s Syd pulling back the blinds and sort of dragging The Beef and Carmy into the light - to gos! Reviews! Let’s throw a gauntlet down and let it rip!

But there is also maybe some projection here from me: I left the city I grew up in for 8 years, to go to university then be in a city that was better for my artistic practice (and I was successful and built a company and won awards but it shot my mental health to shit, and destroyed my body too) and then I came home because of a family death at 26 -

Just gonna stare into the void for a minute, brb

Damn, he's just like me for real

OK, trigger is over!!!

Anyway

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

When I came back there were obvs people doing what I had been doing, to a high level - and they hadn’t had all this family estrangement that I had. And it was complicated, you know? Not good, or bad, just complicated.

I be projecting on this man for real, much to think about!!!

Anyway!

See… Richie’s bitterness to me isn’t that weird! He says at the top of System that he’s been looking after Donna for the past six months, he was at the funeral when Carmy wasn’t, he’ll have been holding both Michael and the restaurant together while Carmy was away, and he explicitly says it's to the detriment of his own family situation. We see that happen in the show: he finally gets a job from Jimmy that means he can escape the Beef and do right by Eva and Tiff, and it goes to shit cus someone calls Michael when they needed to call Richie. It feels likely that the loss of the job, the divorce and his place at the Beef will have all been tied together, 8n his head at least. Michael’s love pushed Carmy away, but he depended on Richie day in, day out: both Carmy and Richie want what the other had. Richie envies Carmy’s being protected from the worst of Michael’s addiction. Carmy feels that he missed out on Michael’s honesty and intimacy. Richie does not have the biological/blood claim that Nat or Carmy have, but he was by Mikey’s side day to day. He is left with nothing but memories, many of them painful. He can stay close to this family he has built his life around,but only at their discretion. They can dispose of him (drop his ass) at any time, and as Tina brutally points out in Ceres, where is he gonna go? He is deeply fearful of this, understandably. The response, of course, is that no one asked him to stick by Michael’s side, or care for Donna. But love doesn't work like that.

Don't worry babes, when we communize care it won't have to be like this.

I find the feelings underpinning his behaviour deeply human: I find the behaviour itself vile, and I hate how easily Carmy and the script let him off for withholding the letter. It’s a total non-event. It’s one of very few moments in The Bear where even the first time round I was like ‘nah, that’s poor writing’. Carmy has a bigger response to him bitching about Claire!

I love shipping, and am a fan of romance goggles. Especially with this ship, because people are fucking weird about it. For me personally, the idea of a romance between these two… ah I wanna be into it, I do. When I ignore a bunch of things I kind of enjoy it. Almost.

Someone made that supercut of all their scenes together, and when I watched it, at the end I felt so, so sad. Cus I felt like I’d just spent 90 minutes watching some white dude exploit a really talented Black woman over and over again while she got sadder and sadder and then she threw up in an alleyway. Even whilst seeing moments that felt romantic. Obviously a supercut like that is not a fully accurate representation of their relationship or characters. But the feeling of dismay and unease won't shift.

In S2 especially, there are so many moments where she just looks really sad. I don’t think Carmy wants to compete with her, or with anyone, really, and I definitely don’t think she’s competing with him, she’s sincere when she tells Richie she’s got no ulterior motive: she wants to work, to find the work meaningful, get paid and live her life. But I think it’s hard to leave your training behind, and them man are trained to compete, it’s the only way you move up in the kitchen, and my reading of the risotto, and why it takes up so much SPACE, cus it’s bubbling away for 3 episodes, is that Carmy’s ego enters the chat, and is a part of the destruction that unfolds.

Anyway, I am off to watch some horror films with Black women as protagonists so that the next time I want to represent myself staring into the void in horror I'm not left with Florence and Mia, much as I love them.

*to believe this i have to ignore that he credits the discovery to a sous and we know he was CDC at EMP. But he also talks about cubes on a dish where everything is a circle, so you know, we can suspend disbelief when we want

#the bear #carmy berzatto #sydney adamu #richie jerimovich

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