#Chicago Deli

[bluepoodle7]

#ChicagoDeli #ChicagoDeliSweetHawaiianRolldDog #HawaiianRollHotDog #FrozenSnackReview

This is part 2 of the Chicago Deli Sweet Hawaiian Roll'd Dog and it was pretty good.

Part 1

A blog about obscurity stuff, plushies and food. on Tumblr

[chicago-geniza]

Neighborhood Korean grocery store sells their own kimchi with a variety of ingredients. Tragically it uses shrimp. Happily they also make a vegan batch. Vegan kimchi is lighter and sweeter much of the time and it's nice but I do like the pungency and umami flavor that jeotgal provides, and not ALL jeotgal is shellfish. One of my favorite kimchi recipes uses anchovy

[ethere4l]

[unopenablebox]

unfortunately i am covetously watching the eater video that's just a tour of zabars

[timehascomeagain]

Some of my favourite endings to poems :) ❤

[chaddavisphotography]

Lake Street and Dearborn in downtown Chicago in December 2012.

[cannotgiveafuck]

On a better note, we got our paczkis on Monday bc the Polish deli was closed today (good for them) so I had some delicious fuckin pastry treat.

I care not what else is happening, Happy Paczki Day.

[designandmanage]

I’ve spent a lot of time on the 606 Trail over the last month. Mainly, to stay in shape and wellness. But truly, swipe to the next page - it was really for these amazing meatball subs that Lucia’s Gourmet Deli makes!!!!!! If you haven’t been to this place on North Ave in Bucktown, you don’t know what you’re missing. Best Italian subs in Chicago. Period! Queen Lucia 🇮🇹✨ #luciasdeli #luciasgourmet #luciaschicago #deli #chicago #food #italian #italiansub #bucktown #ART #LOVE #EAT (at Lucia's Gourmet Italian Cuisine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYgmbejTgV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ablogcalledrevenge]

So I headcanon Eddie as Jewish and I think that once the kids graduate and no more crazy shit happens in Hawkins, Steve follows Robin to whatever college she wants to go to, and Eddie follows Steve. Probably a big city like Chicago or Boston or New York.

Eddie scours the city for Jewish delis, ordering a bagel with lox or pastrami on rye at every one, wanting to find the best. It’s at one of these delis that he meets a bunch of older Jewish women looking for a mahjong player. See Rose just moved to Boca because the winter is bad on her knees so they need a new fifth and Eddie’s a Nice Jewish Boy and he likes games so he offers to join them.

Turns out he’s not that good at it. It doesn’t hold his attention like D&D while also moving too fast for him to follow. He’s too indecisive about hands, trying to switch late in the round.

But Steve… Steve LOVES mahjong. Steve is good at mahjong.

Cut to every Thursday night, Steve going off to Diane or Sylvie’s house to play mahjong with a bunch of old ladies. They adore Steve and how sweet he is, always helping them clean up the tiles and get to their cars.

“And he’s so handsome, isn’t he Ruth? If he weren’t dating Eddie, he’d be perfect for my granddaughter. Such a mensch.”

Because they know about Eddie and Steve. It’s easy to see when you know what to look for and Sarah and Ruth have been roommates since 1967.

So they play and gossip and eat snacks and exchange recipes. Steve asks for creative meals during Passover since he’s got a picky eater. They assume it’s one of the kids he babysits. It’s actually Eddie.

Just give me Steve hanging out with cool old ladies, being a little bitchy, eating rugelach, and taking Eddie out to dinner on his winnings.

[bluepoodle7]

#ChicagoDeli #ChicagoDeliPretzelDog #PretzelHotDog #FrozenSnackReview

This is part 2 Chicago Deli Pretzel Dog and it is the rest of images.

Part 1

A blog about obscurity stuff, plushies and food. on Tumblr

[springtyme]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐎𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐃𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ♡

Carmy x afab!reader || Series masterlist || Series playlist

Previous chapter || Main masterlist || ao3 || Next chapter

chapter summary: Six months ago, you made the move to Chicago and since then, the feeling of truly belonging to this new city hasn't quite settled within you. Being far away from friends and family hasn't made the transition any easier. However, one night, a new connection unexpectedly forms when your neighbor, who nearly set your apartment building ablaze, enters your life.

word count: 1.9k

warnings/tags: Eventual smut! (18+, mdni!) Language. Smoking. Angst and fluff. Slow burn. Mutual pining. Strangers to friends to lovers. Set in season one. Just a quick little chapter. I promise the next one will be longer <3

The sound of a bell chimes as you enter the restaurant, and you’re immediately hit with the smell of grilled meats and spices, making your stomach growl in response, and you are suddenly very aware of the fact that you have not yet eaten anything today. 

The room that you have stepped into is not big, the counter is taking up most of the space, with bar styled seating options up against the big window facing the street, but you spot an entrance to another room with a dining area. The wall opposite of the counter is adorned with various framed photos of the city, of customers over the years, people in chef’s attire and newspaper clippings, and at the end of the room there is a small deli counter. 

Definitely not a Michelin restaurant, you can not help but note, but warm and inviting in its own way, with that nostalgic charm of an old family-run establishment. Behind the counter, talking animatedly through the little window to the kitchen, stands a tall man, his hands moving in gestures as he explains something, but his back is turned towards you. You hesitate for a moment, he must not have heard the bell, he is laughing loudly, but as you take a step further into the room the man behind the counter turns around, noticing you standing by the door. 

“Welcome to The Beef,” he greets you, putting both his hands flat on the counter, and leaning slightly forward, as you approach with Carmen’s phone securely stored in your coat pocket. 

Now as you’re closer and he is facing you, he suddenly seems familiar, you can’t quite put a finger on from where, but you can’t help feeling like you have seen him before, and he seems to feel the same way by the way he’s now looking at you, his brow now furrowed slightly and a puzzled look in his eyes. Before you can respond and explain why you’re here, his face changes to a look of realization. “Ey, you’re the couch girl!”

Your eyes widens as you now recognize him as well. He was the other man who carried your couch up to your apartment with Michael. “Yeah, oh my god, you and…” you’re just about to mention Michael, but you stop yourself on the brink of saying it, not wanting to bring up potential painful memories. “You really saved my ass, back then,” you say, a faint smile playing on your lips. “I never even got your name.”

“Richie Jerimovich, at your service,” he replies, flashing you a wide grin as he extends his hand across the counter for a handshake. You shake his hand, offering him your own name, feeling a sense of familiarity settling between the two of you, despite having only met very briefly before. 

“Now what can I get for you, sweetheart?” He says slamming his palms back down on the counter, but you don’t get the chance to explain that you’re actually not here to eat, but to drop off Carmen’s phone, before the door to the kitchen swings open.

“Cousin, did you just call a customer sweetheart? What the actual fuck is wrong with you?” Carmen’s voice fills the room as he barges through the kitchen door, looking accusingly at Richie before turning to you. “I am so sorry about-” he breaks off mid-sentence, a look of surprise crossing his features as he realizes who you are. 

His hair is just as disheveled as it was last night, the loose curls look like he has been running his hands through them many a time throughout the day. He is also pretty much dressed the same as he was last night, but the white tee he is now wearing is looking crispier than the one he had been wearing at your place, and now a dark blue apron is tied around his waist. You can’t help but study his features, it’s the first time you see him in proper lighting, his eyes are, somehow, looking even more blue in the overhead lights of the restaurant.  

You clear your throat, feeling a sudden rush of nerves as you meet his gaze. His eyes are wide with surprise from seeing you here, but the tired lines around his eyes, softening a bit as he looks at you. “Hi,” you say with a small smile, adjusting the strap of your tote bag, hiking it higher up on your shoulder as it had started to slide off.

“Hi…” He responds in the same soft voice as you, but with surprise written all over his face. His wide eyes, blue and piercing, flickering over your face for a short moment, making your heart beat slightly faster in your chest. 

· · · · ·

By the time Richie and Syd are back from the hardware store, Carmen’s anger has defused, all that is left is a lingering sense of exhaustion and defeat. His migraine is gone as well, the excruciating pain from earlier is now reduced to a dull ache. Having to deal with a C in the window turned out to not be the worst thing to happen today.  

The talk with Jimmy had been like a fucking punch to the gut. He had come by the restaurant shortly after Richie and Sydney had left, and that is when he revealed that Mikey had loaned money from him. A lot of money. Money that Carmen now has to pay back. Three hundred grand... Three fucking hundred grand! It is almost too high of a number to be able to take seriously. How his uncle could have even thought about loaning Mikey that much is beyond him, it was down right irresponsible. 

Carmen sighs as he turns the burner down to let the pot with the simmering ragu cool off a bit. He runs a hand through his hair, his fingers feeling the knots and tangles from a long day of work. He has to figure all this out, but right now all he can focus on is to get through the day.  

“Family is ready soon,” he says, loud enough for the other people in the kitchen to hear, wiping his hands on a dishtowel before walking towards the door to the front to tell Richie. There must be a customer, he can hear the muffled sound of voices, but then, just as Carmen is about to push open the door, the anger from earlier comes back to him as he hears Richie’s voice from the other side of the door. 

“Now what can I get for you, sweetheart?”  

Carmen’s blood starts to boil as he listens to the inappropriate comment. He pushes the door open, ready to give Richie a piece of his mind. “Cousin, did you just call a customer sweetheart? What the actual fuck is wrong with you?” Carmen’s voice fills the room as he barges through the kitchen door, looking accusingly at Richie before turning to you. “I am so sorry about-” he begins, turning towards whoever the poor person Richie tried to chat up is, but his words die in his throat as he meets your gaze. 

Carmen has not even tried to process what had happened last night yet. In a weird way, it hadn’t even fully felt real, more like a dream that fades upon waking, but now seeing you standing in front of him, the memories flood back with full force, overwhelming him as your kind, pretty eyes lock with his.  

“Hi,” you say softly, breaking the silence that has settled in the room. Carmen feels a rush of words and emotions flooding his mind, but he is at a loss for how to respond, his thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess. 

“Hi…” he eventually manages to get out, his voice slightly breathless as he continues to hold your gaze. The moment stretches in time, the air filled with a sense of anticipation and uncertainty. 

“You forgot this…” you say, pulling something out of your coat pocket, which he realizes is his phone. So he had not forgotten it at home like he had thought, he had forgotten it at your home…  

You hold the phone out for Carmen, and he reaches out to take it, his fingers brushing against yours for a fleeting moment as he does so. “Thank you,” he says, his voice filled with sincerity. “How did you..?” 

“Your sister called. I didn’t know if it was you who called your own phone or what so I answered. I am sorry if I overstepped any boundaries,” you explain, looking a little bashful as you do so. 

“No, no, that’s… That’s okay,” Carmen assures you, the last thing he wants is for you to feel bad for helping him out. He is the one who should feel bad for forgetting his phone in the first place. “Thank you for bringing it by, I really appreciate it.” He unlocks his phone and sees several missed calls and messages from Sugar, confirming your story.

“You should probably give her a call when you get the time,” you say softly, there is no accusation in your tone, yet Carmy feels the familiar knot of guilt forming in his stomach. He knows that he owes his sister a call, many calls, but he just hasn’t had the strength to face the reality of everything that has been happening. But now, seeing you standing in front of him, who he barely even knows, but has already shown him so much kindness in the last nine hours or so, since you met, his guilt weighs heavy on his shoulders. 

“Yeah, you are probably right.” His voice is soft, his eyes downcast as he pockets his phone before he looks up at you again. “Are, uhm, are you busy?”  

You shake your head, a small smile playing on your lips. “No, not really.”

“We are having food, in a bit,” he adds vaguely, gesturing towards the kitchen. “If you want, you can join us.” He doesn’t really know what to do in this situation, but offering you a meal seems like the polite thing to do. You don’t answer immediately, looking a little hesitating as you mull the offer over. Carmen’s hands are suddenly feeling a lot clammier than for just a little while ago, surprising himself by how much he wants you to say yes. 

“Oh, I don’t wanna impose,” you say, fumbling with your tote bag strap again, looking a little hesitant. 

Carmen just shakes his head lightly. “No imposition at all,” he assures you, echoing your words from last night which makes a soft smile tugging at the corners of your lips. 

“Right, the more the merrier,” Richie, who Carmy had almost forgotten was in the room, chimes in.   

“Okay,” you say, the smile on your face growing brighter. “Food does sound really good.”

Carmen’s heart skips a beat at your acceptance, and he gestures for you to follow him. “Family’s in five,” he says to Richie, who mouths a ‘you two fucking?’ as he moves his hips like he is humping the air in front of him. This makes Carmy’s cheek heat up with anger, (as well as something else though he isn’t even sure about what exactly is, he just knows that it is something that he doesn’t really want to dissect that right) as he glares angrily back at Richie who seemingly thinks the whole situation is fucking hilarious. 

Carmen’s just thankful that your back was turned. He also can’t help but feel weirdly happy about being the one who cooked family today. 

Thank you for reading! Reblogs and comments are always greatly appreciated :) let me know if you want to be tagged in the next chapter ♡

taglist: @wittyno @eternallyvenus @eddioto @luivisa @navs-bhat @mrs-reeves-17 @johnmurphys-sass @jmamas92 @raspberrieshortcake @yubo-23 @girlorfish

[aestheticaltcow]

omg I love your work! I was wondering if you can write about the reader sleeping over at carmy’s place for the first time. maybe they cook dinner together and stuff? 🫶

Slumber Party

A/N: I kinda wish I'd gone in a different direction with this one, but it works, ya know?

“Thanks, Carmy. My roommate is being absolutely bat shit.” you smiled as you followed Carmy into his apartment. “No problem, baby.” he grinned. Tonight was the first time you were sleeping over at Carmy’s place. While the two of you had been together for a while, there was still a layer of nervousness. It wasn’t like you two hadn’t spent the night together before, but it was always at your place. Carmy said he didn’t mind the longer commute to work, but the reality was he’d been back in Chicago for a few years now but had made minimal effort to make his apartment an actual apartment. For Carmy, it was just a place to sleep and shower. After meeting you, he decided it may be time to establish real roots; he’d made his apartment slightly more homey, but Sugar still said it was like a college kid’s apartment except with Carmy’s OCD-like cleanliness levels. 

“Wanna put your bag in my room?” he asked, hoping he remembered to make the bed that morning. “Uh yeah…” you grinned. “It’s just down there.” Carmy cocked his head to the right, “Sorry if it smells like cigarettes in here…” “Don’t worry about it, Carm. I’d be sleeping on the L now if it weren't for you.” 

You looked around Carmy’s bedroom. You’d visited him in the past but realized this was the first time you’d been in his bedroom. It was bare except for a deli container half filled with water and a book on his bedside table. After dropping your backpack next to his, you stood in the middle of his room, taking in the sight before you. When Carmy slept at your place for the first time, he admired the pictures you’d hung and the posters tacked to the walls. He liked how you’d painted the walls and had a dedicated area to get ready. He liked the mountain of pillows on your bed and the extra throw blankets you kept at the foot of the bed, and now, standing in his bedroom, you’d realized why he liked your place. You ran a hand down the quilt atop his bed and sat down. His mattress was firm; you took a deep breath, absorbing the scent of Carmy’s cologne and cigarette smoke.

“Hey baby, you hungry?” Carmy asked from the doorway, “I could eat.” he shook his head at your comment. “I need to get some stuff from the store. Wanna come?” “Do you mind if I stay here and shower?” he shook his head, “Go for it. Towels are in the closet.” 

The hot water of the shower felt good on your muscles. As you rinse the shampoo out of your hair, you can’t help but notice the 3-in-1 Axe in Carmy’s shower organizer. You didn’t think Carmy was that kind of guy to use 3-in-1, but tonight was the night you’d learn more about him. After drying off with a worn-out, bleach-stained bath towel, you slipped on your pjs, which consisted of an oversized t-shirt and old running shorts. By the time you’d finished your skincare routine, Carmy had returned to the apartment. 

“Can I help?” Carmy looked up as you entered the kitchen, “Of course, baby,” Carmy smiled. “I can always use a sou.” you laughed as he threw you an apron. You stood next to Carmy grating cheese while he explained the difference between real chicken alfredo and the “alfredo” you’d make at home. You giggled as he got progressively more passionate about it. You bumped him with your hip to get his attention, “Okay, Mr. Chef. I grated the cheese.” Carmy rolled his eyes before kissing your cheek. “Thank you.”

[thecapricunt1616]

Saffron - c.b. one-shot

♡ O/S Inspo: For thousands of years, Saffron has been used to boost libido in both men and women. In Greek mythology, Zeus himself used the spice as a sexual stimulant. Traditional Eastern medicine also recommends it as an aphrodisiac.

♡ Summary: You have just been invited to star in your very first music video as a dancer - so of course you're a bundle of nerves, but your lovely Bear knows just how to help you relax.

♡ W/C: 1,947

♡ Posted Date: 05/16/2024

♡ A/N: Hi, Hey, Hello all! Hello to all my new followers omg 💖 I am so happy you’re here! This one shot is based on ♡ this ♡ request by @bbyseojun ! I hope this is what you were looking for when you requested it 🫶 I'm so so soooooo sorry that this got lost in my docs! Eek sorry about that :( Per usual requests are OPEN! I love doing them, I hope to get more in the future (promise they won't take as long as this one hehe) ☺️💖

♡ Warnings for BTC: smut smut smut - more smut - swearing (not edited that well SORRY) - tis all I believe! No use of Y/N & Black!Fem!Reader friendly. ♡ 𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 ♡ ➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡ ➵ 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 / 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 ♡ ➵ 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 ♡ ➵ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 ♡

You had finally gotten your big break. Today was the first day of your music video shoots for one of the biggest up and coming female rappers in the industry, and you couldn’t be more stoked. You could hardly sleep last night due to your excitement.

You had been a dancer in Chicago for 4 years now, well - not full time. You of course between gigs waitressed @ The Beef — which is where you met your beloved boyfriend. You had worked for Mikey for about a year before he took his life. That was the thing that no one saw coming. When you came in to work the night after it happened and Richie wasn’t there - you knew something was extremely off. 

When Carmy came back to Chicago you were a bit shocked that he actually accepted the offer of taking the restaurant over. You two got close very quickly, and you were able to help fill in the gaps of what Michael wasn’t telling him so he could better process his death. 

Your romantic relationship bloomed faster then Carmen expected - but if he was honest he couldn’t get enough of you. The days you were off doing auditions or gigs he found himself missing you around the restaurant, giving you little playful spanks as you shuffled past him at his station while running food to the front of the restaurant, as well as sneaky make out sessions right before lunch or dinner rush in the dry storage. 

Your alarm went off at 4:55 and you hopped out of bed, starting the shower and Carmy was still snoring. He had no alarms set because he was taking you today, and would be on set with you. You at first had felt like he was babying you, or felt as if you couldn’t handle getting there yourself because you’d expressed confusion about the set location. 

He’d explained after a heated screaming match after closing one night last week, that you ‘weren’t allowed the time off if y’were gonna be a brat ‘bout him comin w’you’ and that ‘he knows models who have worked music videos and there are fuckos and pervs he doesn’t want you around’ so he was simply going to ‘keep you safe’ 

He took you at the expo table after you’d expressed if he just said he was doing it because he loved you and not because he thought you were incompetent you would have submitted to his request. That led to his thick hand around your throat and lips to the shell of your ear hissing into your sweaty skin

“Y’need me t’show you how much I love you? Mmm? Want me t’show you how I own this fuckin pussy? Huh? That big fuckin mouth isn’t runnin’ T’much now that I’m givin y’what y’been beggin me for all fuckin day yeah?” 

 By the time you’d finished your shower, Carmy was up, drinking his black cold brew packed with ice in a 32 oz deli container as you buzzed around the bedroom, toothbrush in your mouth and fluffy black towel wrapped taut around your figure. 

“Y’know it’s only 5:40, right?” He said, looking up from his phone. He was likely checking his emails, or obsessively texting Sydney - making sure she was awake and headed to the restaurant to be there for truck since today was the first day he was leaving her on her own. 

“Fiffe footy?!?” You exclaim through toothpaste and dropped your towel, his pupils going twice their size as your breasts bounced around while you hopped into a clean pair of seamless painties, before grabbing a bralette from the top draw. You slipped it on, rushing and sitting on the bed and he clips it for you by nature before you adjusted your chest and skittered back off to the bathroom

“Start the fuckin car!!! Jesus!!!” You snap, stressed and annoyed he was still laxely sprawled on the bed enjoying his coffee and catching up on his phone. 

“Fuuuckin Christ!!! Y’gonna be like this all day?” He huffed, opening his draw and grabbing a pair of jeans and a white shirt, slipping them on. “Lucky I take my showers at night” he grumbled. 

“Scuse me?” You snipped with a slight smile “who’s lucky for what?” You challenge. 

“Nothing” he scoffed, knowing if he tried you he’d not be touched for a week. “I love you” he said to try to smooth things over as he grabbed the keys and went downstairs to start the car and you smirked to yourself, slipping on your grey sweats and tank top before slicking your hair into a bun. 

By the time he was back, he comes and gives you gentle kisses on the back of your neck, gently rubbing over your belly and finding purchase on your hips before squeezing sweetly. “ Is someone nervous? Mm?” He mumbled into your skin and trailed his fingers underneath, goosebumps appearing on your skin at the contact. 

“Why wouldn’t I be nervous? And you’re movin’ all slow” you whine and he gently kisses your bare shoulder, trailing gentle pecks up to your neck 

“Relax” he said in that soft sweet way, tucking his fingers in your waistband. “Y’know we don’t have to be there till 8:45. It’s not even 6 baby the drive won’t take that long” he kissed that sweet spot right under your ear. 

“How am I supposed to relax when I’m about to do the biggest gig of my life this is like- this is like you with your stars!” You watch him in the mirror, gently nibbling on your earlobe gently, sucking on it. He stopped to chuckle lightly and you slap his thigh 

“Babe I know, I know it’s important - ‘s just funny cause you never know when Y’gonna get tested t’get a star it’s not like a fuckin…bar exam ‘er somethin. But y’gotta relax sweetheart” he dipped his fingers in the waistband of your panties “lemme help yeah? Make y’feel good?” He mumbled into your skin. 

“Carmy” you breathe as he rubs his thick calloused fingers over your mound. “Carmy” you drop your head back on his shoulder, guard falling down immediately. Every thought melted from your mind, your knees went wobbly, toes curling slightly. He knew exactly how to get you going, exactly which buttons to push. You felt his lips trail your jaw, careful to not nip hard enough to leave a bruise. 

“You know what to say if Y’don’t want me to” he reminded you, stilling his fingers for a moment to give your thoughts a moment to clear. You opened your eyes once more, seeing his piercing blue ones wide and enlarged with desire, tip of his nose red from the chilly morning air and lips slightly swollen from his inability to keep his lips from trailing your skin. 

“I want to” the words left your lips without even needing to think and with your permission he watched your blissed out expression in the mirror as he spread your folds with his fingers, before dipping his digit in your slick and swirling it back and forth gently over your swelling nub. He placed a sweet kiss to your shoulder, his breath hot and sending goosebumps spreading over your skin. 

In the mirror you saw your nipples had become rock hard beneath the fabric of your bralette, your eyes trailing down to see Carmy’s hand working beneath the soft fabric of your sweatpants. “Feel good baby? Mm?” He asked gently, pressing you more against the counter since your knees were getting weaker. You responded with a breathy moan and gentle nod, grinding into his hand. “Wait- wait princess won’t feel as good mm? Trust me” he stilled your hips and continued rubbing wide, gentle circles into your folds. 

“Please need you so bad-“ you whined out, feeling as if you sounded a bit pathetic but you didn’t care - the only thing bouncing around your mind was you needed release, and soon. 

“I know princess, y’gettin there” he drags your juices up to your clit, circling gently at first but quickening his circles before switching to strokes back and forth that had your hips bucking forward and a sharp gasp passing your lips. “See” he said gently, a smug smile on his lips as he rubs down, feeling over your entrance and teasing it with the pad of his finger. You bit your lip, looking at him in the mirror. 

“You’re such a tease” you whined out, and he thrust his finger inside you, causing your jaw to drop and a whimper to fall out of your mouth, gripping the counter with white knuckles for stability 

“Am I?” He mused, pushing past the first knuckle, then the second, achingly slow. He curled it in, trying to find that special spot “You look so pretty when you relax like this, mm princess?” He kept your gaze in the mirror, watching every twitch and gasp. You felt his cock pressing hard against your ass, you could only imagine the wet patch on his sweatpants and it made a wave of warmth flood your lower belly at the idea he’s going to have to change them before you leave. 

“You wanna fuck me? Huh? Right here in front of the mirror?” You asked, voice breathy and needy. He found the spot and pressed it with the pad of his finger, rolling your clit under his palm - the sensation on both ends of your most sensitive bit was enough for you to see stars in your vision at the stimulation. You leaned on the counter feeling weak and he lifted you with his other arm, holding you flush to his chest and wrapping his hand around your neck just enough for your head to feel light.

“You think you could handle me kitten?” He asked in the shell of your ear, adding his ring finger and thrusting them quicker. You went to moan, but you were so blissed out it came out more like a squeak. “Huh? Did ya’ say somethin’ pretty girl? Could barely hear you y’pussy is so wet” he teased, curling and uncurling his fingers to exaggerate his point, the squelch of his fingers nearly drowning out your whimper that soon followed.

“Cumming” you moaned hotly, resting your hand on his forearm, squeezing gently to tell him to add more pressure on your throat. He got the message of course, he always did. He had your body memorized as well as he did every cooking temp in the book. You leaned into the counter as your knees shook and he supported you with his arm, working you through it and whispering praise into your skin.

“See? Thas’ my good girl yeah? Jus’ needed some help lettin’ go mm? Feelin’ better now princess?” he worked you down, rubbing you gently. Your hips twitched and he chuckled a bit “Needa sit?” he asked gently and ran his hand from your neck down your chest, rubbing over your ribs sweetly. 

“No-” you said once you got your mind right again whining a bit when he took his hand out. “M’sorry for being mean” you said softly, looking at him in the mirror. He gently kissed the top of your head, lingering for a moment and closing his eyes. You closed yours as well, leaning against him and savoring the moment. You did feel much better, you felt much lighter, even though there was an infrequent twitch between your legs as your body rode out the wave. It was all pleasant, though.  “Y’aren’t mean baby. Just a little sassy” He spanks you lightly. “I’m gonna shower, go stretch out n'we can leave when m’done - ye’?”

[fictionalmenmakemecry]

Fuckin' with the Ecosystem - Chapter 1

Characters: Carmy Berzatto x Reader, Richie and Sydney

Summary: Carmy has come to accept his struggle when dealing with his dead brother's failing restaurant, he reaches out to you for some guidance from an old friend. You realize it may be more of a challenge than you first thought with the clashing of personalities and family.

Warnings: Cursing, Angst

This is not what Carmy wanted. He wanted it, but not like this. He stared at his brother's memorial card pinned to the cork board completely dissociated in the office.

Through all the years, Carmy begged Mikey to work with him here. All the ideas Carmy would share of what his brother could do with this place. The potential. Mikey never wanted him near this place. Now here he is, like some sick joke, Carmy is finally here. But picking up the broken pieces that Mikey left him with nothing else. No note, no letter. no fuck you. Just a restaurant on the verge of shutting down.

His phone vibrated breaking him from his resenting thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

You looked down at your phone to double check the address. Across the street, there was a sad little restaurant that had clearly seen better days. The building itself was rundown. The sign was faded. Overall the place hadn't seen love in awhile and it showed.

You took a deep breath of the cold winter Chicago air in your lungs and looked up and down the street before making your way across.

You tried pushing open the door to find it locked. Taking your phone out of your jacket pocket and popping up Carmy on your phone holding it up to your ear.

"Hello?" Carmy voice feeding through the phone.

"Outside" You stated, wanting to get out of this raw breeze hitting your side.

He hung up and you heard a ruckus inside before the door jolted open. Carmy face emerged from behind the door and a smile appeared.

"You're here... finally, " a sense of relief washed over him.

To say that last couple days have been overwhelming would be an understatement of his life.

He arms went over your shoulders enveloping you into a big hug.

"It's been too long." He whispered pulling away.

It was. It's been awhile since you've connected, 3 years, maybe? An environment like a heated kitchen in a three star restaurant can bring people together or apart. It's either or. Carmy and you were shaky at the start. Having moments of frustration and rage especially when he first started.

You held the strap of the bag to your shoulder as you looked around. The place was .... mediocre at best. The floors were stain, the walls had chipped paint and were discolored. The deli was far from new or well-looked after. The smell of stale bread was in the air.

You continue to look around until your eyes landed on Carmy who was looking back, waiting for a reaction. He was tense. His arms folded behind his head, hands clasped.

You walked further into the deli, making your way around the counter. As you got closer you started hearing voices. Well, shouting. It was coming from the double swinging doors.

Richie always made an entrance whenever getting a new introduction and this was no different. He burst through the doors with a big grin on his face.

"Ayye, you must be our knight and shining armor, ight?" He announced raising his voice.

"More family than friend" Richie gave you a wink leaning over for a hand shake.

"This is Richie, family friend." Carmy gestured, still standing behind you.

"Oh, nice to meet you" You smiled and eyed up the big personality that you just met.

"Carmy here hasn't stopped fuckin' talking about y -"

"Cousin that's not tru- " Carmy spoke over feeling his cheeks get slightly heated.

Richie raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "I'm not lying" He chuckled.

You glanced over at Carmy to see him roll his eyes.

"A'ight, let's show ya around" Richie stepped aside and directed his arm towards the doorway.

Making your way to the back where it was... chaos, to put it lightly.

The kitchen had no order or very little from what you could see. The layers of voices that filled the room was overwhelming. Everyone introduced themselves before getting back to what their task was.

You tried to take note of the duties getting done, Tina was prepping a stock of some kind. Ebra, the meats. Marcus was in his little corner cracking eggs into a bowl. Richie was... Well you had no idea what Richie was doing. He seemed to bounce around station to station pissing people off or getting in their way.

Carmy was there all morning trying to get food prepped in a timely manner but efficiency has always been the challenge in this God forsaken place. It didn't help that one of the most important chefs wasn't in and was running late with that. Carmy glanced at his phone and saw a text from Sydney.

"Sorry, running late. Be there in 15!"

Carmy gave a thumbs up before locking his phone and putting back in his pocket. He doubled check with everyone knew what they were doing for the last part of prep before doors opening.

"Uhh, the office?" You asked, standing next to him trying to grab his attention.

He completely forgot about you for a moment as he got more stuck into the kitchen.

"O-oh shit yea, sorry" He apologized wiping his hands on a rag tucked into his apron. He took a quick glimpse of the crummy clock on the wall.

"3 Hours til' service Chefs" He shouted.

"Yes Chef" Everyone responded without hesitation.

Carmy led you out of the kitchen and down the hallway. To the left, there was a small box room. Peering around the doorway, you saw an oversized desk that took over too much space in the room. One file cabinet squeezed in the back right corner. You take a couple of steps inside, and the room feels even smaller when in it. You looked around, seeing the piles of disorganized paper everywhere. Random knickknacks covering the desk and a dim table light cascading its warm hue across it.

You took your bag off and placed it on the chair, which looked like it was on its last legs. Literally.

You glanced up at Carmy. His hand was on his face, his fingers resting against his lips. Worry was written all over his face.

"I tried to... um.. " He shifted, crossing his arms and leaning up against the doorframe.

"To organize it, but I, I would always get pulled away before making a difference" He said pressing his lip into a fine line.

"It's a lot" You sighed, picking up some pages glancing at them.

You looked back up at him trying to give your best reassuring smile.

A noise came from the front, followed by the rush of footsteps coming closer.

"Carm, I'm so sorry" A rushed voice spoke.

"The appointment took way longer than expected" Sydney continued, popping her head around the corner.

"Oh, you must be Carmy's friend?" She leaned forward with her hand.

"This is Sydney" Carmy introduced nodding his head to her.

You smiled shaking her hand.

"I've heard so many great things." She grinned.

"Same to you," you said, flickering your eyes between Sydney and Carmy.

Sydney squeezed by Carmy, you heard the loudness of voices leaking through from the kitchen with the door opening and it fading away as it closed.

"Look, I know this is a lot. It's fuckin' crazy." Carmy sighed scratching the back of his head.

"If you want to get the hell outta ere, I won't hold anything agains-"

"I'll do it." You interrupted.

He froze. He looked at you with his mouth slightly open. The weight he felt on his shoulders was immense. He felt guilty even thinking about involving anybody else like Sydney and you. He was involved because he was family. He had no choice in the matter at this stage.

"You serious?" He raised his eyebrows.

You nodded. You remembered all the times you were struggling years ago. The forced promotion you got and how ill-prepared you were for it. The nights you spend studying different type of permits, financial documents, health and safety guidelines and inspections. Carmy was there next to you. Both you googling unfamiliar legal terminology so you could understand a single sentence on the letters.

Carmy didn't expect you to agree to this. He had set himself for you to take one look at this place and dip. He knew how many opportunities that were thrown at you, you'd be crazy to stick around here. He was flabbergasted and had no words.

He stood there for a moment before double checking with you.

"You sure?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

You nodded confidently.

He came over to you giving you a quick hug before pulling away.

"Thank you" He said meaningfully, still holding onto your arms firmly.

"Cos, this shit ain't right!" Richie barges through the swinging doors shaking his head.

Carmy turned around to face him.

"What?" Carmy asked followed by an exhausted sigh.

Sydney came through next. "This is how it needs to be Richie!" She exclaimed bringing her hand to her forehead with frustration.

"Naw, you're fuckin' with the ecosystem" Richie yelled over her pointing his finger.

"W- What?!" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion gesturing her hands up.

"Hold up, hold up" Carmy yelled over them both as they continued to loudly bicker.

He glanced at both of them until they looked at him.

"Cousin, what the fuck are you talking about ?" Carmy questioned.

"Look at this shit." Richie turned around and busted back through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

Sydney rolled her eyes and followed with Carmy behind her.

The tension in the place never seemed to let up. Everyone had their way of getting things done and if it changed, war broke lose. Which seemed to happen more often than not.

You glanced over to your right to see Fenway Park poster crudely taped onto the wall. Mikey must have been a Red Sox fan, a fleeting thought that ran through you head. You moved your bag and settled yourself in the chair. The chair that creaked with every movement.

In the kitchen, Richie was still on Carmy's ear about the changes that Sydney was making. Small changes like the layout of the spice rack and the organization of the walk-in freezer.

"Cos, look what she did" Richie leading the way to the freezer.

"Yeah, I asked her to do that." Carmy responded looking into the freezer and bending down to see if the stock was in the order the way he wanted it,

"Thank you" Sydney said appreciatively to Carmy.

"Wai- What?" Richie said his face completely baffled.

"Yea, this freezer was not following health and safety policy. We coulda been shut down for this if we got unscheduled inspection" Carmy explained walking away from the freezer and walking through the stations making sure everything was on track.

"Mikey never di-"

"Mikey had no fuckin' idea what the hell he was doin'." Carmy spoke over Richie taking a teaspoon and tasting the stock.

"Tina, add more salt to this please" He spoke to her over his shoulder.

"Yes Jeff" She replied.

Richie worked his way around Tina, still following Carmy.

"I don't like the way things are going on around here" Richie watched as Carmy picked up the container of onions and moved them to the other side of the counter.

"Tis' not my problem, Cousin," Carmy continued, turning around and cracking open the oven door, checking on the beef.

"This is your brother's house. I was running it fine without you." Richie exclaimed leaning more into him.

"Then why didn't he leave it to you then?" Carmy retaliated back instantly looking Richie directly in the eyes.

Carmy walked away and left the kitchen slamming the swinging doors on his way out. Richie stood there for a moment and shook his head. He worked his way to the back of the building. Mumbling profanities while taking a cigarette out of the pack and placing it between his lips. Took a light and a deep breath in. The more changes that happen, the further he felt from Mikey. The heavy feeling sat in his stomach as he stared off into the distance.

He thought about all the times Mikey and him would fuck around in the back. All the stories they shared. Both of them lean up against the shitty fence. How excited Mikey was after buying the place. The big plans both of them had.

It hit Richie. It hit him like a train. Mikey was gone. He wasn't going through those doors anytime soon. Richie eyes flickered, and his trance broke with the loud clatter of noise from inside. His eyes whelmed up, and the more he held his tears back, the harder the lump got in his throat.

He wiped his dampened eyes with the back of his hand roughly. Inhaled deep on his last drag before flicking the cigarette on the ground and released the smoke from his nostrils.

Richie heard his name being called by Sydney from the kitchen. He exhaled tiredly and rubbed his face down with his hand. He wanted this day to be over. He turned around and dragged himself back in, slamming the door behind him.

------------------------

Chapter 2

Author's note: I've decided this is going to be a series. I have no idea how long. I really enjoyed writing this. My suggestions are officially open! If you have any thoughts or ideas, let me know!

Enjoy guys :)

Masterlist of other fics

[copperbadge]

SAM SAM SAM CORNER BAKERY JUST FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY

This is, pun intentional, so delicious.

For those of you who may be new, my feud with Corner Bakery goes back at least a decade at this point because they kept selling me food that made me sick. But the reason this is delicious is not that I am witnessing the fall of a worthy foe -- it's because I think this confirms my theories about its business model, since Corner Bakery explicitly failed because a) trends were shifting before the pandemic and b) Corner Bakery lost revenue that other places didn't due to people working from home.

My theory has always been that Corner Bakery's model was to situate itself in places where there were no other strong options. Corner Bakeries tend to exist in business districts or tourist districts where people are just far enough away from other good food options to make a reasonably priced soups-and-sandwiches place look appealing. They went into museums, or near museums and other tourist destinations, where the other options were either very high-end or McDonalds. Their locations in Chicago's downtown are near skyscrapers full of people who want fresh, "healthy" food quickly on their lunch break but don't want a grocery-store sandwich.

And then they serve the absolute cheapest, poorest-prepared food possible. Tiny expensive bags of cheap chips, the lowest-quality deli meats and condiments, gross bread used even after it goes stale, elderly veggies used after they start wilting. The last time I got a sandwich there, it was made with the heels of the bread, unripe avocado, and deli turkey that was uncomfortably wet. The last time I ate there ever, I got food poisoning from a slice of lemon pound cake.

I didn't know that this was true but I suspected it, and the coverage seems to be confirming that their brand of swindle, which was highly vulnerable to a drop in tourism, turns out to have been even more vulnerable to mass work-from-home than most restaurant chains.

Corner Bakery traded explicitly on the desperation of the people it served and made me sick multiple times before I stopped eating there. Good riddance, I hope its holding company lets it die completely, and I'm going to take credit for it personally if it does. :D