Apéritif [ Carmy Berzatto || THE BEAR FF ]

Chapter 2 - The Bear

"Hellooo..."

"Is anyone thereee?"

"You think he's dead?"

"No Fak he's literally breathing."

"Okay, well look I just asked cause you know my Aunt Lucie passed away not so long ago. And they found her just like this so I'm just sayin—"

"CARMYY!?!"

Carmy shot up from the couch with such a force that almost sent him off the couch.

"WOAH WOAH what are you guys doing!?" L

"CARMY! Oh my God, I couldn't lose you. I don't know what I would've done." Fak's arms were now tightly wrapped around Carmy, who was still in a state of shock and confusion. "I thought I lost you-"

"You weren't answering your calls so we came to check up on you." Sydney explained in her most nonchalant tone.

She looks around the apartment before saying, "and it looks like you barely made it past the couch."

"Uh... yeah I guess" Carmy rubbed at his face to get the last bit of exhaustion left from his expression.

"Guys I appreciate it but I just want to be ... alone right now." He looks up through his eyebrows at Syd and Fak who were both currently hovering above him. They stared at him silently before opening their mouths.

"Please." He pleaded.

"Well we're your friends and we haven't seen you since the friends and family dinner!" Fak tried reasoning with him, turning his cap backwards almost in a sign of seriousness. "Now how do you feel!?"

"Great. Now can I get some rest?"

Syd plopped down next to him on the couch. "It's 2:30." She says turning to him.

The apartment went dead.

"How's Claire?" Sydney finally blurted out. Her tone soft and caring, trying her best to pry Carmy open. "I heard she left the restaurant pretty quickly." Carmy avoids eye contact with Syd. Both Fak and Sydney were able to read the atmosphere, it's like the color had drained from Carmy's face.

"Things got messy. I said some stupid stuff, she heard it." He exasperated.

"When you were stuck in the freezer?" Syd questioned. All Carmy could do was nod— his hands glued to half his face.

"Damn bro, she gave you the cold shoulder."

"Fak—" Sydney darted her eyes in his direction.

"Sorry."

"Carmy, did you mean the things you said to Claire?"

Carmy's gaze drifted, torn between honesty and pride. "I... I didn't mean for her to hear it like that. I was just frustrated with everything, and I guess my words got tangled in the heat of the moment."

Sydney leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on Carmy's shoulder. "You should talk to her, clear things up."

"Syd's right, man. You've got to straighten things out. We care about you, and Claire does too."

"Yeah yeah— I mean hey! She practically loves you!" Sydney quickly buts in as she looks at Fak, concerned if she had said the wrong thing.

"Right? Right Fak?"

Fak nods his head immediately, reassuring Sydney's comment.

Carmy's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, and a heavy silence settled in the room once again. Sydney was unaware of how nerve-wracking those three words were to Carmy.