Apéritif [ Carmy Berzatto || THE BEAR FF ]

Chapter 1: Congratulations!

Doors closing~

The familiar ding of the Chicago transit line almost drowned out by the liveliness of the outside. That familiar breeze as the train doors close and the ryhtmic clatter of the train against the track echoed through the station.

Carmy is sat in a worn-out seat, with a window facing the right of him, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Despite the intense day he had he was still coming down from a high of excitement. Still processing the fact that he did it, The Bear was finally something tangible and not a figment of "what ifs" and dreams. The reopening of the Bear had taken its toll, and he longed for the solace of home. The taste of a charismatic mix of wine and beer lingered on his tongue. The team had had a brief celebratory dinner before parting ways. And Carmy may or may not have had too much to handle.

The slight rocking of the train made it difficult for Carmy to keep his eyes open. He looked around the train car only to notice three other commuters. One man in construction clothing, a woman still in her servers uniform and an older man who looks a little rugged. As if the man himself had a rough night on the town as well. All these people had their own paths and were most likely trying to find solace and comfort in their own home.

As the train slowed down to a halt that's when he saw her...

She stood feet together on the opposite platform, a striking silhouette that surprisingly still shone through the heavily padded coats and bundles of cloth that protected her from the Chicago cold. Her face radiant and rich despite the dullness that engulfed the outside.

Doors closing~

The train started to pick up again. And Carmy's eyes were still fixated on her. He watched, almost mesmerized as she disappeared into a blur. He almost forgot about how tired he was, as if- in that moment- he was able to relax and regenerate. This kept Carmy in the same position he was when he sat down. Not having moved a bit since him and this mystery girl parted ways.

This is Rooseve-

"Oh fuck" Carmy whispered to himself. Getting up with an urgency as he almost missed his stop. Zipping up his worn carpenter jacket that was probably older than he was, he started to navigate the familiar way home. This time, completely on autopilot as he couldn't shake away the thought of "who was she?".
———

Carmy entered his apartment, a compact space that mirrored the chaos within his mind. The air felt heavy with the residue of a demanding day, and as he dropped his belongings by the entrance, he took in a deep breath.

A mismatch of furniture, worn and slightly askew, occupied the limited space. The walls, empty with no decor, echoed and bounced the sounds of his footsteps. The apartment, though not dirty, bore the scars of mental strain—a lived-in space that mirrored the battles he fought daily.

With a sigh, he shuffled to the kitchen. His fingers pushed past containers of take out, random sauces, and drafts of recipes he wanted to introduce to The Bear. His fingers finally grazed the cold surface of a beer.
Carmy hesitated.

Instead, he opted for a bottle of water that sat in a case on the ground by the edge of the fridge.

Carmy sank into the sagging cushions of the couch, the weight of the day settling in. The only source of light spilling in was from the neighboring apartments and Chicago streetlights. And with one big swig, the discomfort in his throat that he only noticed now finally went away.

With a final deep breath, Carmy reached for his phone. The screen illuminated his face as messages flooded the Home Screen. Messages from Cousin, Sydney, the rest of the team practically all echoed the same words.

"Congrats!!"

The congratulatory texts from his co-chefs painted a brief smile, yet the shadow of unease lingered. He scrolled some more until he saw her name.

2 Messages from Claire:
——————————————
- Carm

- I hope you're reading this outside of the freezer... You did good today, don't beat yourself up, bc I know you will. You will always be the Bear to me, but I don't want to distract you from your goals if that's how you truly feel. I'm sorry.

As he began to read the messages, a knot tightened in his chest. Carmy's thumb hovered over his phone screen, uncertainty etched in the lines of his face as he read the last words in Claire's message.

"I'm sorry" he says, a lump caught in his throat. Immediately he downs it with another quick swig of water.

Hastily, he tries to call her, his fingers dancing across the screen, but the call went straight to voicemail. All he could do was sit there as the air seemed to close around him. His hands trembling before clenching it into a fist. It was as if he was trying to hold himself back from lashing out. But at who? All he could do was blame himself. He brought his hands to his forehead before letting out a sigh. A tear escaped from the corners of his eyes and the once silent room was now filled with a soft whimper.

He cried softly to himself. And before he knew it, the night went cold and he had drifted off to sleep. Phone in hand.