fairestbeard

[fairestbeard]

I like that they are both wearing their character clothes with holes in them.

[fairestbeard]

"I know they have chemistry but I really don't want sydcarmy to happen because I want to see a deep and complex male/female platonic relationship "

And the complexity here is that they wanna f__k!

Girl, if you don't... 🙄😂

[fairestbeard]

When I talk about sexual harassment for Carmy I don't mean that he was being touched by Fields or anything. I noticed there was a change in the tone of when Fields said "take a break sweetheart". It didn't sound antagonistic. It sounded normal or even friendlier like Carmy telling Syd she needed some rest. And it was in the dream he had about the Ball Breaker character getting castrated which suggests that he might have been feeling emasculated.

So I wonder if the breakdown in the relationship of Carmy and Fields' started later, maybe after Carmy may have rejected his advances. Because whether or not a person uses sexual language on you, if a person starts antagonizing you after you rejected or showed no interest in them, that is sexual harassment.

So, a few things I just remembered that I want to mention before FX lets it rip.

Why is Carmy's drawing of Claire with glasses but in her actual young photos she never wears glasses, like, at all?? For the glasses to be a thing "the glasses came off" she must have been wearing them all the time.

So was that just an oversight by the production or is there a meaning to it?

*gasp* IS CLAIRE SUPERMAN?? 🤭😅

_____

Also why do I have a feeling Chef Fields may have s_xually harassed Carmy? Because in the montage of his voiceovers in Carmy's sleepwalking dream, apart from the mean things he said, we also hear him say "take a break, sweetheart" but not in his usual menacing tone. What was that about?

Maybe that's why Carmy had such a strong reaction to Richie calling Syd sweetheart?

Also the way he looked like he was enjoying Carmy's attention. He didn't think about him but he was sure as f___ enjoying Carmy focusing on him. Except that was (likely) Carmy's imagination too.

Which brings me to my next point. Why is the way Fields was looking back at him, mirroring the way he remembered Claire in his panic attack flashbacks? While they are both saying to him the most contrasting statements ever?

Why does she show up between his traumatic flashbacks? Is it because of the difference between her and them? Or is it because it feels exactly the same?

[fairestbeard]

Wednesday

Is there a thematic significance to them releasing the series on a Wednesday?

This call back to Wednesday feels significant

So are we getting through Wednesday for real in season 4? And what is Wednesday for these characters, especially Syd and Carmy.

Carmy used to love Wednesdays as a kid, but doesn't anymore? Why specifically did he love Wednesdays and why did he fall out of love with it?

The series is about breaking cycles, so does Wednesday symbolize the crux of the cycle or the point that is hard to get over? Like the hump in hump day. The challenge with getting over a hump is that you can fall back down and have to start again. And it could happen over and over again, like groundhog day.

Hopefully this season is about getting over that hump, getting through that groundhog day and moving forward. For Syd, it's about not running away and fighting the fight to win. For Carmy it's about not staying stuck in his ways, in his past, in his trauma. Doing away with the guilt, the shame and the fear.

Happy Wednesday!

[fairestbeard]

It's The Bear day!!! 🙈

[fairestbeard]

So, a few things I just remembered that I want to mention before FX lets it rip.

Why is Carmy's drawing of Claire with glasses but in her actual young photos she never wears glasses, like, at all?? For the glasses to be a thing "the glasses came off" she must have been wearing them all the time.

So was that just an oversight by the production or is there a meaning to it?

*gasp* IS CLAIRE SUPERMAN?? 🤭😅

_____

Also why do I have a feeling Chef Fields may have s_xually harassed Carmy? Because in the montage of his voiceovers in Carmy's sleepwalking dream, apart from the mean things he said, we also hear him say "take a break, sweetheart" but not in his usual menacing tone. What was that about?

Maybe that's why Carmy had such a strong reaction to Richie calling Syd sweetheart?

Also the way he looked like he was enjoying Carmy's attention. He didn't think about him but he was sure as f___ enjoying Carmy focusing on him. Except that was (likely) Carmy's imagination too.

Which brings me to my next point. Why is the way Fields was looking back at him, mirroring the way he remembered Claire in his panic attack flashbacks? While they are both saying to him the most contrasting statements ever?

Why does she show up between his traumatic flashbacks? Is it because of the difference between her and them? Or is it because it feels exactly the same?

[fairestbeard]

Theory:

This scene with Sydney cleaning the floors never happened. It was purely in Carmy's imagination.

Because why does this same image come to him besides his own at the ever funeral? That was Syd alone cleaning while he was supposedly at home making her Pasta and ragu for his girlfriend so he couldn't have witnessed it.

Cleaning the floors is how he expressed/expelled his own s_xual frustrations in the past so it's fitting that he would imagine her expressing hers in the same way he did. He's making pasta thinking of her mopping the floors because he wishes he was with her. That she wanted him the way he wanted her.

Man had to prepare for his date, dreaming of another woman. He had to imagine Syd being hot for him to be able to get it up for Claire.

And still...

[fairestbeard]

"I have to tell you something"

Ears peck up.

"Actually I like Mondays"

Ears slump, disappointed. Girl, if you don't....

Still can’t believe we got a whole scene of Carmy talking to Claire about their favorite days of the weeks they literally have nothing to talk about😭 the most nothing relationship in existence istg

[fairestbeard]

If you want to love Claire, love Claire. Be a Claire fan!

Giggle! Fuckin giggle!! 🍴

Don't blame it on theories. Or hinge on false feminism. Just love her.

If you wish she was big enough to be the preferred love interest, well make her your preferred love interest. If you wish she was a co-lead, make her your co-lead. The media is already trying their best to actually portray her as a more important character so you have legacy backing, anyway.

Don't blame meta that's just people interpreting media that's in front of them and expressing their own feelings about what they're looking at. SMH

[fairestbeard]

Let him be obsessed. What's wrong with that? As long as he's not acting out in harmful ways towards her, he can love her with any amount of intensity he can muster. So can she.

And let the haters be weird. Who cares?

Let them love each other and care for each other in any way that brings them the most joy. Anyone who has a problem can go scratch.

I think I made a post sometime about how some shots in the bear are basically just mirroring memes like that hole in the wall shot.

I also noticed in this shot (the gif ended up too blurry for my point to be obvious but I'll explain)

At the point where Syd walks into the office and Carmy turns to lay his eyes on her, the camera brings the sign "Carmy call the fuckin fridge guy ♥️" in focus for a fraction of a second so that, with the heart sign it looks very much like a lovestruck meme.

(Corpse husband and Sykkuno basically for the amongus fans)

I had noticed that before but just shrugged it off.

Tell me why I just noticed in the scene where Carmy is having a panic attack and has to think about Syd to calm down, when it transitions to Syd, there's a heart sticker above her head.

Come on!! What are the odds???!!!!!

Is Storer fuckin kidding me? Sydcarmy is so canon! I'm calling it. I don't even care.

Also, side note: the way it feels like he was already watching her in this shot just before she came in cause she was definitely around them at this point. There's a whole meta I can write about how he's always watching her.

Carmy loves Sydney down!!!!!

[fairestbeard]

It's shitposting day for me. I don't know how I'll be feeling tomorrow 😅

[fairestbeard]

Yes, Chef !!!! This show keeps on giving!! I'm telling you, these things are deliberate.

I can't wait to see more. Love this fuckin show 🥹

Question that's come up in my pre-season 4 rewatch of The Bear: on what basis do folks assume that Sydney's father, Emmanuel, is a recovering alcoholic? Is it just because he tells Richie he doesn't drink in 2x10 The Bear? Could this not be explained by other means like:

he's a teetotaler? or

he may be a practising Muslim who abstains from alcohol, which is haram? or

he just doesn't like booze?

Have I missed sth?

[fairestbeard]

I think I made a post sometime about how some shots in the bear are basically just mirroring memes like that hole in the wall shot.

I also noticed in this shot (the gif ended up too blurry for my point to be obvious but I'll explain)

At the point where Syd walks into the office and Carmy turns to lay his eyes on her, the camera brings the sign "Carmy call the fuckin fridge guy ♥️" in focus for a fraction of a second so that, with the heart sign it looks very much like a lovestruck meme.

(Corpse husband and Sykkuno basically for the amongus fans)

I had noticed that before but just shrugged it off.

Tell me why I just noticed in the scene where Carmy is having a panic attack and has to think about Syd to calm down, when it transitions to Syd, there's a heart sticker above her head.

Come on!! What are the odds???!!!!!

Is Storer fuckin kidding me? Sydcarmy is so canon! I'm calling it. I don't even care.

Also, side note: the way it feels like he was already watching her in this shot just before she came in cause she was definitely around them at this point. There's a whole meta I can write about how he's always watching her.

Carmy loves Sydney down!!!!!

[fairestbeard]

I also have to add this:

Notice the character with the Adamu looking hat in the background on the other side of Carmy? You know how this show loves to do call backs. And they are the only two wearing hats in the whole shot and yes, that works for centering the shot by drawing your peripheral vision to the corners of the frame, but knowing the show, there might be more.

Question that's come up in my pre-season 4 rewatch of The Bear: on what basis do folks assume that Sydney's father, Emmanuel, is a recovering alcoholic? Is it just because he tells Richie he doesn't drink in 2x10 The Bear? Could this not be explained by other means like:

he's a teetotaler? or

he may be a practising Muslim who abstains from alcohol, which is haram? or

he just doesn't like booze?

Have I missed sth?

[fairestbeard]

I'm very curious what you mean by "run with theories" and "projection". What is a fan theory? It's just fans putting their own subjective meanings on what they see and maybe trying to make predictions. A lot of that would be projective, based on how things work in your mind and patterns you can recognize based on that.

Theories can vary. The point is not to be right, it's to examine and expand on media to create more meaning and/or enjoyment out of it. No theory is directly affecting a canon story. The theory is either right or it's not, so I don't understand this seeming theory puritanism tbh. If there are elements in the piece of media that can back up the theory then it is a valid theory. It doesn't have TO BE a correct theory and the theorizer is not affecting the actual story.

So maybe let's just chill out a little bit?

Edit: Also what is this fear I sense in this fandom of the possibility of certain characters having little flaws or wonky history, maybe, in a show about trauma and breaking cycles? Are we banking on these characters to be as perfect as possible to actually deserve value or love and not for their actual humanity?

Question that's come up in my pre-season 4 rewatch of The Bear: on what basis do folks assume that Sydney's father, Emmanuel, is a recovering alcoholic? Is it just because he tells Richie he doesn't drink in 2x10 The Bear? Could this not be explained by other means like:

he's a teetotaler? or

he may be a practising Muslim who abstains from alcohol, which is haram? or

he just doesn't like booze?

Have I missed sth?

[fairestbeard]

Is Claire even a doctor?

One thing I love about on this show is their subtle use of some obvious tropes. You almost think it isn't there but it is because without tropes storytelling don't really have coherence and structure. It's how we're able to connect certain dots in any narrative. In The Bear, some if them are directional and some I believe are mis-directional.

That being said, I noticed some things that made me wonder if Claire really is an actual doctor. I don't know what would be the intention or relevance to the plot for her not to be one but I just noticed a few things that I want to point out.

Of course there has been a lot of chatter in the fandom about her having way too much free time for an ER resident. In my last meta, I pointed out that the possibility that she wasn't even that available, we just assumed because it was made to look that way. A lot of the tricks they pull relies on how much we assume.

But there's more discrepancies.

1) The overselling of Claire:

This one I call the too good to be true trope. It's kind of odd the way Claire is oversold in the show. It's like every pro-claire character in the show just becomes a desperate insurance salesman. She also seems to be pitching herself a little bit sometimes. She always has to qualify why she's good, why she's fun, etc. That has made a lot of people suspicious for good reason, paying more attention to her character and observing disturbing details, because when something presents itself to be too good to be true, it probably is.

I also find it very interesting that she said to Carmy she was "almost a doctor" but a resident IS a doctor already especially one with 6 months to go in residency. Lord, she even has plausible deniability, herself. She never said she was a doctor.

2) There's no definite markers for her job

She says she is a doctor. Everyone says she's a doctor. But when we see her there's nothing that definitively says this is a doctor except that she wears scrubs in a hospital. She's definitely a medical professional, but is she an emergency medical doctor? We've never seen a clear badge of any kind. It is purposely blurry in my opinion so that your brain makes out what it should be. In Sundae when she calls Carmy, she's right in front of the camera but the badge is either blurred or turned. Even scrubs like hers can be worn by any other medical worker at all.

Just a coincidence? Maybe.

But she's never even been seen in a doctor's coat. Even Syd has been dressed more like an actual doctor (M.D) than Claire has.

3) Nurse-y duties

Every task we've seen her perform in the hospital has also been very nursey. We've never seen her consulting patients or doing anything exclusive to doctors. She says she fixes TBNs, we see her fixing saline IVs and giving shots. Even when we see her fixing a bone, in a scene which could be very well in Carmy's imagination, we see a gloved hand that we can't definitively connect to her, she talks about saline flush again like a nurse and when she is asked what happened, she just describes the incident in lay man's terms instead of replying with medical jargon. And this is a show that dumps us in the deep side if culinary jargons without a care in the world.

We never seen her outside the nurses station and dispensing treatment. We also see her very casual and friendly with the someone at the nurses station in a very familiar peer-like way which suggests she that's where her duty is around and we never seen her with an actual doctor clique or anything.

6) The con in the wild trope

The final coincidence that ties all these other coincidences for me is how they seem to have used the con in the wild trope in this scene where the Faks visit her in the hospital.

You know those movies where someone lies about their identity and then someone finds them in an unexpected place and calls to them but it takes a while for them to realize they are the one being addressed? That's a little bit what the scene felt like to me.

She doesn't respond to "Dr Dunlap", "Dr Claire Dunlap" She rouses with a confused look at "Dr Claire" and only turns after "Dr Claire bear". Also her immediate reaction was to whisper and try to quiet the conversation. Of course, her hair also covers the badges very conveniently. Now, it's shot in a way that there's a good enough excuse for these and it doesn't raise that much suspicion, eg, she was too engrossed in her work and the shushing and looking around was because they were embarrassing her at her work by coming to intercede for her estranged boyfriend.

Ted even says "I was coming to look for Dr..." and trails of so there is once more no definite marker since the statement doesn't get completed to be confirmed or denied.

The whole scene just resembled a con in the wild scene too much for me not to consider the possibility.

It seems very unlikely, though, and doesn't make a lot of sense to me for her to not be a doctor but it's also very possible when you line up these coincidences. I wonder if it's a switcheroo they're planning and what it would mean. My best guess is that it's probably another misdirect but if it's not, I wonder how such a development would play out.

[fairestbeard]

Sunday

It was the most magical night Carmy had ever experienced. He felt, cranked up to insanity, the kind of feelings that scared him shitless and made him run for the hills but this time, he let himself surrender to the joy.

Let it rip!

He had no other choice.

Watching her unravel before him was something beautiful like he'd never seen. Touching her skin, hearing her breathe, tasting her, burying his flesh into hers, it felt like seeing God. It transcended any pleasure he'd gotten out of anything ever. The way she responded to him, the way her body moved and writhed and trembled and shook, her hands caressing and grabbing and guiding him. The way she moaned and whispered and gasped. And that cry- that final cry as she tensed and convulsed- scratched his brain like potent drug, sending him over the edge too and crashing right back into her with an overwhelming feeling of release that had caused him to sob, face pressed against her neck, for a moment. The sound of both of them out of breath as they held on to each other tightly. The stillness afterwards.

It was climatic climatic. There was none of that feeling of deflation, that crashing back down after the high he had experienced before that made him wonder if he even liked sex at all. Which confused him because he had always been very annoyingly aware of his own latent horniness. This pleasure didn't seem to just stop with a mind-blowing orgasm. It didn't just pater out like the other thing. There was still a residual buzz- an afterglow of happiness and deep satisfaction that wasn't going away. Like a warm fireplace in the cold. He got so curious if it felt as good for her and asked her about a million times if she was ok and how she was feeling until she cracked up and they both laughed for a bit. He kissed her shoulder. She kissed his head.

Sydney!

He'd slept in her arms, nestling in her bossom as he listened to her even breaths. He, at first, fought going to sleep for fear that he might wake up and find he was only dreaming. He internally shook his head at his own immaturity and the fact that that he gave himself a very painful pinch just to make sure.

She is real. And she is here. This is happening. And it had taken a long and winding road to get here.

When the sleep came it swallowed him whole. He fell into a deep dreamless sleep which was very unusual for him. He usually had the most disturbing sequences in his head but this felt like falling into the softest pillowy mush. It was deep enough that he couldn't feel a sense of time but not so much that he wasn't aware where he was or be oblivious to her presence. In fact, it was her presence that felt like the comforting bottomless mush. He still felt everytime they moved in their sleep and how they both always reached out to the other no matter their positions.

The sudden movement of her body and rustling of the sheets roused him and he woke up to see that it was already quite bright out. She was getting out of bed.

"Oh no no no, don't go, please!" he protested with a sleepy croaky whisper, lightly grabbing her arm. She let out a soft laugh.

"I'm just going to get water."

"Oh..." he breathed with a sheepish smile, feeling relieved and a little self conscious of his outburst.

"Get me some?" he requested.

"Yeah, sure." she with a kind nod.

He watched her disappear in his hazy vision. His eyes scanned the room as he became more awake, seeing things scattered all over the room. Their clothes were strewn all over and they had knocked over his little stool with his Al-Anon booklets and various keys by the door in the heat of the moment.

He smiled in recollection of their frenzied, desperate attempts to get each other naked. It was obvious how much they had wanted each other and had wanted each other for so long. Ignoring all the awkwardness of a first time, it was all they could to not rip each other's clothes off, their mouths hungrily finding each other at any given opportunity.

His wandering thoughts were interrupted by her walking back in the room. She was stark naked. He watched her in stunned awe as she made her way to him, realizing as much as he had always wanted her, he had never allowed himself to imagine her naked. She was tout and skinny with long legs that terminated at a small but shapely hips. Her curves were very defined, a small waist and tight belly with a small deep navel. The small fine hairs around it led downwards to a small moderately hairy fleshy mound and upward to breasts that were quite full for her size with a slight droop and dark pointy nipples. For someone who hardly ever showed skin, she seemed really comfortable in her own nudity. She sat at the edge of the bed by his side, looking at him with a curious smirk, making him realize he had been staring gobsmacked. He smiled and looked down shyly.

"Water." She said, handing him an almost filled deli cup as he sat up.

"Thanks."

The water felt good. Delicious. He closed his eyes for a second moaning a short ummm and then looking up at her. She was watching him drink and he held her gaze as he drank. She gave an amused double take.

"What, are you trying to seduce me?"

It was such an unexpected joke that he immediately choked on the water from letting out a laugh mid gulp. He started coughing, still laughing, putting the water away on the nightstand while she vigorously rubbed his left arm.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She said laughing too. She kept rubbing his arm until his coughing fit subsided. He cleared his throat and laughed again.

"I don't know, you just looked like one of those hot boy summer ads" she said chuckling and he joined her heartily.

"Yeah, right, an ad that's trying to sell nothing?" He quipped in self deprecation.

"Well, it'd sell at least one"

He laughed. He really loved her kind of humor. Sharp but not cruel, kind but not patronizing. They sat in in a moment of silence with him stroking her hand. He thought about all the hidden drawings he had obsessively made of her hands and wondered if she'd think him strange.

"What?" She asked looking curious. He realized he'd been lost in thought.

"Nothing," he said "I was just wondering if it worked. You know...the whole seduction thing".

"Oh, wow, me too" she said with an eye roll "I wonder if it worked, as I sit naked on your bed." He was laughing "No, you totally didn't seduce me, Carm"

"Well can I do it again?" He asked with a coy flirty smile.

"You can try!" She replied with a smile so wide it could only mean Yes, please!

"Come here" he said pulling her into a kiss. They started out with a slow gentle kiss and then it slowly built up in intensity till they were almost out of breath. When they broke off Sydney chuckled a little but that was quickly replaced by a gasp and a delighted squeal as he suddenly dipped her, overturning her unto the bed so that he was partly on top of her. He freed himself from the sheets so he could kneel over her, kneeling in between her legs, he pulled her closer by both spread legs. He could feel her eyes on him as he stroked her outer thighs and just took in her body with his eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Syd" he said in an almost whisper, his voice thick with emotion and desire.

"So are you" she replied, her voice soft and soothing.

His usual response would be a disbelieving scoff but this time he just smiled. He did feel beautiful. She looked at him like he was beautiful. Maybe it helped that she was comfortable being called beautiful. She wasn't afraid or ashamed to be beautiful. Or to know it, even though she clearly never took it seriously. Maybe she was rubbing off on him.

He trailed her thighs with his his hands up to her hips and belly while she stroked his arm and chest and they just took in each other's body for a bit. Then he leaned in for a kiss, gently teasing hers with his lips and tongue. Leaning into him, she deepened the kiss- the way she kissed him back with so much hunger and passion and desire every time lit him up with pleasure every time.

He moved his lips to her neck and shoulders kissing and trailing the length of her neck with his tongue. She shuddered and let out a small whimper as he kissed her her all over her neck, shoulder and upper chest coming up to her lips and back down.

"Do you you like this?"

"Yes. Please don't stop."

He didn't stop. He kissed the base of her jaw and worked his way down to her nipples, taking one into his mouth and teasing the other with his fingers. Her hands stroked his upper back and head and she made short gasps between raggedy breaths as he sucked and and licked and teased with his teeth, alternating between nipples.

"Let me know what feels good"

"Okay"

He trailed further down, kissing her stomach and her navel, working his way down slowly to her mound. When he got there, he spread her legs wider apart and gave her clit one slow lick, as she let out a loud moan and an oh yeah, digging her hand deeper into his hair.

Good girl. He wanted to tease her a bit, so he moved his lips to her inner thighs and kissed her all the way towards her knees and back down on both sides. He could tell she liked it even as her anticipation grew. Her hand found his hair again as he came back up towards her flesh, pulling him into her.

He settled back down on her clit, teasing with his tongue in slow circular motions. She had both hands dug deeply in his hair now as she trembled and urged him further, moaning loudly. He trailed his tongue up and down the length of her very engorged labia and down to the opening of her vagina scooping her delicious slimy wetness with the tip of his tongue and slid it back up to her clitoris. Her moans had turned into gibberish now in between different iterations of yes yes yes, oh Carmy, oh baby and other encouragements. She was squeezing her thighs in a little too tight so he had to take a break, tapping on her thigh.

"Open your legs, baby, you're squeezing too tight"

"Okay" She loosened her grip.

"Just relax, okay?"

"Okay" she breathed.

"You'll tell me if anything feels not so good?"

"It feels good. But yes I will"

He went back in, working his way up and down her pussy, varying his movements, speed and intensity. He could tell by her movement and her moans she was about to come so he dug his tongue into her, as much length as he could manage in and wiggled his head so that his tongue moved inside of her and his nose against her clit.

Oh god, oh my god! She moaned as she came, letting out a cry so loud he was sure a neighbor or two heard, as her walls vibrated against his tongue and she arched and tensed and convulsed. He kept his tongue inside her through the aftershocks until she collapsed in the bed.

He came up for air. His lower face was wet with her juices and his own drool so he grabbed one end of the sheets from behind to wipe his face. He stroked her outer thighs with both hands as he watched her take deep breaths to recover.

"Are you tired? Do you want to stop?" He asked.

"No I don't want to stop" she said, still breathless.

She made a motion as if she wanted to reach for his cock but he was a little farther from her reach.

"Do you want me?"

She nodded.

"Catch your breath a little."

He felt her relax more into the bed as she drew deep breaths.

"Drink some water."

She obeyed, reaching for water and taking three gulps out of it. She reached the deli cup towards him to offer but he was good.

He pointed towards the drawer.

"Can you grab me the...?"

"Yeah" she cut in reaching for the drawer and taking out a condom.

"Come here"

He pulled her up so they were kneeling facing each other. She helped him put on his condom, after which he kissed her passionately grinding his body against her.

"Can you turn around for me?"

She laid back on the bed and turned around, coming back up on all fours. He gently massaged her lower back, waist and softly squeezed her ass.

"Tell me you want me inside of you"

"I want you inside me"

"That's good"

He searched for her opening with the tip of his dick, steadying her with one hand and gently thrust himself into her. They both made a hissing air sucking sound in unison, Syd ending hers in an audible moan. A pang of pleasure shot through him from his pelvis to his spine to his brain.

"Oh you feel so good, Syd. You feel amazing" he said to her beginning to thrust in and out a slow, steady tempo, guiding her hips with his hands holding her waist.

"Yeah?" She said amidst her moans.

"Yes," he responded "so good"

He continued thrusting as she also rocked back and forth with him but then he slowed himself down until he stopped totally.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I need to slow down. I'm too excited and I don't want to come to soon"

He scooped her back up and embraced her from behind, caressing her thighs, stomach and breasts as he kissed and teased her neck and ears with his tongue.

"You feel good?"

"mmm-hmm" she moaned.

It took a moment before he felt ready. He gently pushed her back down to a doggy position and started thrusting again in steady slow pumps.

"Don't move. Stay still" he instructed, holding her in place with his hands as he picked up the tempo.

Soon she was speaking gibberish again and saying please over and over. He kept the steady, hardly able to contain himself, it took a lot of discipline to not absolutely go crazy but he wanted to please her more than anything. That was his priority. Both their thighs were glistening with her juices which was gushing at this point.

"Harder, Carm. I'm going to come!"

He intensified his thrusts harder and faster as she came with loud moan that sounded like a half sob, grabbing his lower thigh from behind her. Her nails dug his flesh, a little painful but he didn't mind. He was surprised he still hadn't come. He slowed down to a stop and rubbed her back while she panted, catching her breath.

"Should I stop?"

"No."

He made her drink some more water and turned her around to sit on him.

"Is this good?" He couldn't stop making sure.

"So good" she said.

He reached up to kiss her cupping her face with one hand while the other one stayed around her waist. The kiss was deep and hungry while they moved on each other slowly, slowly picking up pace.

"Hey, can I do something?" He asked in a whisper after a bit.

"What?"

"And you can tell me to fuck off, you don't have to do it"

"Okay...?"

"Can I restrain you?"

She stopped moving and looked down on him quizzically.

"Restrain me how?" She didn't look alarmed, just curious.

"I'd just hold your arms behind like this." He demonstrated it to her by taking both her hands behind her and gently clasping where her wrists crossed each other with one of his hands. He let her go once he knew she got what he was trying to do.

"You don't have to. You can say no and you can stop any time if you feel uncomfortable."

She considered it for a moment a small smile playing on her lips.

"Okay" she nodded.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." He said, searching her face for any doubts.

"I know. We can stop if I don't like it."

"Okay. Good" he nodded.

He restrained her again, making sure his grip on her wrists was not too tight as she rode him. It made movements a little more awkward at first but they quickly got into rhythm. He had his other hand on her waist to steady and guide her. Her moans became more audible. She was obviously enjoying the new method.

"What if I want to stay stop...?"

"You can say stop. I'll stop" he nodded to her reassuringly.

She slowed down again.

"No, but...but what if I want to say stop but so you don't?"

Oh! He slowed to a complete stop, Let go his grip and gave it a moment's think which was really a moment to recover from the surprise request.

"Well, then we have to find another word for when you really want to stop"

"A safe word."

"Yeah, a safe word." Wow, his brain was going, "Can you think of a word?"

"Uhm...what about cherry?"

"Cherry?"

"Cherry."

"Okay. Cherry then."

He restrained her again, making sure to be gentle with it. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting her even a little bit.

Stop it, she moaned.

No! He shot back.

Stop!

No.

Please stop!

No.

Let me go!

I'm not letting you go. I'm never letting you go. He said this with a little too much emotion, he thought.

She was moaning so loudly now, long purry moans. He knew she was close. He didn't know how much longer he could hold too. She was saying please please over and over again, gyrating her hips rigorously.

"Come, baby!" He encouraged as he went full throttle with his thrusts.

"Cherry! Cherry!"

She interjected in between a loud moan and he let go immediately. She clasped on to him tightly with her hands around his neck, pulling his body in.

Aargghh...ohhhh...uuuughh my god, she cried out loud as her body shook, her hips clenched and her walls vibrated against his dick. He was there too.

"Oh God!" He gasped as the feeling washed over him, followed by a loud fuuuuck as his body exploded, shooting through his groin to his spine to his brain. They both held on breathless, in a tight desperate hug, rocking each other until they were still.

He let out a deep sigh and loosened his clasp on her and she did too. He looked up to her sated half smile and cradled her face with his hands while she stroked his shoulders and arms. She had beads and streaks of sweat on her face as she was looking at him with affection. She was so beautiful he could cry. He already knew he'd do anything for her. He softly kissed her lips, then her cheek and forehead, tasting her sweat.

"Hey" he smiled at her.

"Hey" she grinned.

Afterwards, he chugged down the rest of the water in the deli cup and had to get her some more. They took a shower together and he made a makeshift shower cap for her with a nylon bag he found in the kitchen to protect her hair. After that they changed the sheets because it was soaked in their sweat and fluids.

He found the way they quickly fell into rhythm with the mundane stuff really comforting. It was very familiar, like they had been together like this a while.

"I know we definitely cut short a neighbor's sleep with all the noise" he joked chuckling, as they spread the sheets over the bed, each holding one end of it.

"Oh my God, dude!!" She protested, looking amused but embarrassed.

"It's true" he pressed with a smug smile. "And we may have flooded the building!"

"STOP!!!" She half yelled in a laugh.

He shrugged as if to say, I'm just saying.

"Oh my God" she kept laughing. He loved seeing her laugh.

They snuggled in clean sheets that smelled of fresh laundry. They weren't napping just reclining and they didn't say much to each other, they just basked in the presence of each other, hands entwined and laid in a weirdly comfortable silence.

He was the one to break.

"Hey, do you want breakfast? I should get breakfast."

"Where?" she asked in a tired, yawny voice.

"No, I mean I should make some breakfast"

She pondered a beat.

"Well, aren't you tired?" she asked, looking mildly concerned.

"Not enough to not make breakfast" he replied, planting two quick kisses on her cheek and temple and jumping out of bed.

"Don't move" he said, pulling the sheets over her.

"Like, at all?" she asked, looking up at him with the most coquettish stare that slightly knocked the wind out of him.

"I mean, don't get get out of bed!" he clarified trying and failing to hide a smile.

"Well, what if I need to pee?", she asked a small smile crossing her face. He let out a full chuckle at this point.

"Well, except that", he conceded with a playful nod.

"Okay" she nodded and twisted her lips to the side in a transparent attempt to look all innocent. He stifled a laugh as he walked out the door. He could tell she was too.

In the kitchen, he worked fast. He found some eggs, mozzarella and some heavy cream. Heating the pan in a low heat, he whisked three eggs and heavy cream with some chilli flakes and black pepper until it was fluffy. Then he finely julienned some bell peppers and chopped some coriander. He melted butter in the pan and cooked the egg mixture, topping it with the bell peppers to cook in the low heat. He added the chopped coriander when it had cooked a bit, then spread thinly sliced cheese on top. He folded the omelette in two when the cheese melted and cranked the heat up to high for a few seconds to give the omelette some color on both sides.

He toasted two bread slices in the remaining butter in the pan and brewed some earl grey tea, which he had bought a while ago for no reason at all other than her mentioning in passing once that she liked tea. This was way before there was even a sliver of hope of them being together. Buying that tea without plans was some real unconscious faith, he thought.

When he walked back in the room, tray in hand, she was sitting up with the covers over her chest, perusing her phone.

"Hey" she said, her face lightning up as soon as she noticed his presence.

"Did I miss anything?" He nodded towards her phone. He approached the bed and sat by her setting down the tray in his lap.

"The Great Chicago Fire... Ooh, that smells good" she said eyeing the omelette, a half pie of yellow and golden brown, melted cheese, peppers and coriander peeping through the sides.

"The TV show?" He asked, handing her a fork, ignoring her compliment.

"The event" she said, "in 1871", She added when he looked confused.

Blank stare.

"There was a huge fire that gutted the city in 1871" she explained flailing her fork.

"Oh" he said, nodding unenthusiastically. He could get used to being the dumb boyfriend.

Boyfriend? Oooh.

"Never mind" she dismissed digging into the eggs. She closed her eyes and savoured the first bite with an mmm.

"Chef, this is gorgeous" she complimented.

"Thanks" he beamed, remembering how bummed he was when she called his bearnaise dusty.

"Where's your fork?" She asked suddenly noticing that he wasn't eating.

"Oh, I made it for you" he responded.

"Hell, no" she said shaking her head, "you're eating". He started protest again. "You're eating!" She said with a finality in her voice.

"Ok" he obeyed.

"We already kissed so we can share the fork" she said, making him laugh and smiling a small proud smile that she was making him laugh.

They shared the fork, taking turns and talking about egg recipes. The dish was consumed quickly and they both stared down at the small final piece.

"Aww" Carmy said in faked regret.

Syd chuckled and forked the last bite into her mouth with an eye roll that made Carmy cackle.

"That was so good" she said with a sigh, mid chew, as he put the plate aside on the night stand. She took her tea and sipped, enjoying it with closed eyes and he couldn't help the joy that welled out of him seeing her looking sated and blissful, knowing he had something to do with it.

"It's Sunday"

Her eyes flew open and she looked at him with quizzical eyes.

"Yeah!" She said with a small head shake. She probably thought he forgot what day it was again.

"You wanna stay?" He found the courage to ask, stroking her lower leg.

"Stay here?" She asked, searching his face.

"Yeah, stay here" he nodded pleadingly.

A tiny smile flashed for a second before she looked concerned again.

"Well... But what will we do?" She said looking around.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and she snorted a laugh back, shoving him playfully.

"Well, we could just chill. Hang out. Talk about anything" he said in all seriousness. "We could talk about the fire in 19...57!" He joked and she laughed out loud again clapping her hands together lightly.

"Well, we'd have to talk about the menu" she said looking serious after a beat. The little workaholic. He scoffed lightly in amusement but she was looking at him expectantly.

"Yes. We could talk about the menu at some point later" he said emphasizing the end.

"Okay" she nodded with playfully raised eyebrows.

"Okay" he nodded too, smiling at the gorgeous angel he was hoping to God would be his girlfriend.