#Marcus and peanut

[pintsizemama]

Chestnuts

Day 4

Summary: Marcus & Peanut roast chestnuts with Grandma.

Pairings: Marcus Pike x You, Marcus Pike x Female Reader (Peanut)

Fandom: The Mentalist

Rating: Mature

Warnings: language, discussions of sex and blow jobs

Word Count: 1,027

Marcus & Peanut Masterlist

Day 3 Day 5 Christmas Masterlist Main Masterlist AO3 Join my taglist

“Is this too many?” You asked your grandmother, gesturing to the vast amount of chestnuts on the kitchen counter.

“Might not be enough,” Grandma replied. ‘This has always been a family favorite—for both families.” She looked at Marcus who nodded in agreement. A couple hours ago you and Marcus had ”come out” to your families about your new relationship. Needing a break from all the questions and advice, you both had volunteered to help Grandma make her famous roasted chestnuts. She added butter and honey to them which made it an irresistible holiday snack. The three of you sat together at the kitchen island and worked in quiet peace. It was a nice change from all the chatter you had to deal with today.

“I think the first two batches are ready to go in,” Grandma told Marcus. He dutifully stood up and carried two trays to the oven. You couldn’t help but stare at him in awe. He was so beautiful and finally all yours.

“You’re drooling, dear,” Grandma said with a chuckle. You rolled tour eyes at her playfully. Marcus placed a kiss on the top of your head just before retaking his seat next to you.

“How’d you know about us, Grandma?” You asked. “The other day when we were baking cookies…you already knew we were together. How?’”

“It was very clear,” Grandma answered. “The two of you have always been obvious in your ‘secret’ feelings for each other, but there was always a…tension there. Something missing. Like two magnets being forced apart even though all they wanted, their entire purpose in life was to be together. The other day, that tension wasn’t there anymore. So, I knew you had finally admitted your love for each other.”

“Wow,” you whispered.

“I didn’t realize how transparent we were,” Marcus said quietly.

“Apparently not to each other,” you laughed.

“True,” Marcus agreed. “I’m just glad we finally got on the same page.”

“Me too,” you whispered.

“Me too,” Grandma chimed in. “Now make me the happiest old lady in Seattle and give me some great-grand babies!”

“Gonna need some time before that, Grandma,” you chided playfully.

“Yeah, but we can definitely practice until we’re ready…a lot,” Marcus added.

“Marcus Pike!” You scolded. He just smiled and kissed you softly.

“Ugh! Gross!” John shouted as he walked into the kitchen. “Can you please refrain from mauling my baby sister when I’m in the house?” Marcus pulled away and laughed.

“John, you are such a fucking cock block!” You groaned at him.

“Just payback for that time I snuck Janie Stevens over the night Mom and Dad were out of town,” John said with an evil grin.

“That was years ago!” You scoffed. “You were in high school You can’t still be pissed about that!”

“Yes I can!” John argued. “She refused to go out with me again after that! I only ever got to second base with her, and the rumor was she gave the best head in school.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I stopped your oversexed teenage self from getting into yet another girl’s pants in high school,” you said sarcastically. “It’s not like she was the only girl willing to sleep with you. You were—and still are—a massive manwhore.”

“If I remember correctly,” Marcus chimed in, “you did sleep with Janie our first summer home from college. Even got her to give you one of her famously great blow jobs.”

“Ha!” You shouted. “Look at that. No need to be pissed at me since you did get—wait, Marcus.” You turned to your boyfriend. “How do you know her blow jobs are great? Have you slept with Janie?” Marcus’s eyes widened. John laughed at his friend’s discomfort.

“No, Peanut, I never slept with Janie,” Marcus said. You knew he was feeling the truth, but it was slightly off.

“What about a blow job?” You pressed.

“Huh?” Marcus dodged the question.

“Ok, let me rephrase that,” you said. “Has Janie Stevens’ nasty lips been anywhere near your cock?”

“Oh man,” John couldn’t stop laughing. “This is so much better than stopping you two from kissing.”

“Sweetheart,” Marcus began.

“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me, Marcus Pike,” you said sternly. You were trying hard not to laugh at the panic in his eyes. You wouldn’t be able to keep up this angry facade long. “Did you let her blow you?”

“We were teenagers!” Marcus said defensively. “It meant nothing. She blew everyone!” You burst out laughing. John fell to the ground he was laughing so hard. Even Grandma was chuckling.

“What the hell?” Marcus asked in shock. “You were fucking with me?”

“Of course I was!” You laughed. “Marcus, you’ve been married and engaged. Obviously you’ve had sex with women other than me. I’m well aware you have a past. Just like me.” He scowled at that.

“I don’t wanna think about that, Peanut,” he said darkly. You just smiled.

“The past doesn’t matter, my sweet Marcus,” you said softly, cupping his face. “All that matters is our present and future, my love.” He smiled and kissed your palm.

“For the record,” Marcus told you, “you give way better head than Janie Stevens.” You ignored the gagging sounds John was making and blushed as you remembered the quick blow job you had given him last night when you both managed to sneak away after midnight mass. That wasn’t even close to your best work. You looked forward to showing him just how talented you were once you got back to DC. Just then the timer dinged.

“First batch is done!” Grandma announced.

“Yes!” John cheered. “That’s why I came in here. To beat everyone else to the chestnuts. Didn’t expect to get an x-rated comedy show out of it.”

“X-rated?” Marcus laughed. “That wasn’t even close to how x-rated we can get.”

“I do NOT want to hear that,” John said immediately.

“Then don’t piss me off, or I’ll tell you exactly what I do to your baby sister!” Marcus countered.

“Oh my god,” you groaned.

“Boys never really do grow up, do they dear?” Grandma said fondly.

“I guess not,” you agreed.

Day 5

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[ghostbroh]

Ok so for the last couple days I've been staying up late thinking about this roommates/modern au I made up for watchdogs and I've been having fun crossing and blending the lines between fanon and canon and just idk I created things !!

(unrelated but sorry for clogging up all the watchdogs tags I'm very brainrotted about it atm I can't just like stuff in a casual way)

First and foremost I was thinking to myself 'hmm what if Horatio lives but ALMOST dies and Josh is the first to find him' and that lead to this thing down here:

The outher stuff down below I was like 'these guys would get so deep into bluey' n like I know canonically wrench hates dogs BUT I'm choosing to ignore that in this au for this entirely self indulgent

[alpinezro]

on s2 of the bear but im still not over my ex best friend/partner/fiance so every time denmark gets brought up i shrivel up into a little raisin and fade into dust

[fishfooddude]

Hi!! Can you please write something about Carmen x reader where they have a secret relationship?? They both work at The Bear and maybe get caught doing something sexy by Richie (lol) and then the rest of the staff finds out. These type of fics always make me laugh🤭 Love your writing!!!����🤍🤍

My Friend From New York

The Bear Masterlist

My Directory

MDNI 18+ (Only a lil bit)

To some, The Orginal Beef of Chicagoland was a run-down dingey sandwich shop that may or may not have sold coke out of the kitchen when COVID wrecked the city. To Richie, it was his home. He and Mikey had been friends for almost four decades, and The Beef was their baby. When it came to The Beef, there was a layer of sentiment to every part of it. Even with its quirks, it was part of Richie, and after Mikey was gone- it felt like the only connection he still had to him. Of course, that mother fucker left his legacy to shithead little brother. Richie loved Carmy; he’d known the kid since he was in diapers- and now he was trying to change the sandwich shop into some bougie millennial hot spot. Richie tried playing nice; he tried explaining to Carmy that The Beef was fine before he took over, but Carmy convinced himself and the rest of the staff that they could become something bigger, that greatness was within reach, and everyone was running with it. 

“He needs to get laid…” Richie muttered under his breath as he brought bags of flour to the dry storage shelving by Marcus’s station. Marcus chuckled as he’d overheard the comment. Richie wiped his hands on the apron tightly tied around his waist, “What’s he even tryin’ do… Mike and I ran a tight ship.” 

Marcus shrugged, “I like Carmy… He’s challenging me- I loved Mikey… he was a good guy, but what Carmy wants to do is in honor, ya know?”

Richie shook his head, “He’s fuckin’ with my system.” Marcus waved him off and returned to the notebooks and cookbooks sprawled across the stainless steel counter by his mixer. Richie scowled as he walked to the dining room, muttering complaints about Carmy to himself. “Yo, everyone! Meeting in the dining room!” Carmy’s voice echoed through the kitchen as Richie stood by the host stand, scrolling through his Tinder messages. Richie slipped his phone back into his back pocket as the kitchen doors swung open before leaning against the wall, watching as people entered the room. 

“Okay- thank you, everyone for being flexible and understanding. Carmy and I both understand that changing an operating system can feel overwhelming, but y’all are doin’ great.. Carmy.” Syd monologued before turning the figurative mic over to Carmy. Richie turned his attention to him but quickly went to the front door of The Bear, where a mystery woman entered the dining room. Before Richie could say anything about them being closed, Carmy piped up.

“You’re early…” he grinned. The woman shrugged and put a small suitcase on the floor before approaching Carmy and Syd. Richie chuckled when he saw Carmy causally give her a side hug, his hand lingering on her hip slightly longer than it should, “This is Y/N. She’s one of my friends from New York… here to help out Marcus.” Carmy pointed Marcus out to her. 

“Fresh meat…” you commented as your eyes ran up and down Marcus, “You’ll be a baker by the end of the month.” 

Richie stood back and listened to you explain your background before the meeting ended. He noticed how Angel was looking at you and how Carmy was glaring a hole in the side of his head. He looked between you and Carmy; there was no way Carmy could get a girl like you. He chuckled to himself and waited for the meeting to end before going to the alley to have a smoke before dinner service. 

~

As the weeks passed, Richie noticed little things about you and Carmy. Nothing was explicitly sexual or romantic, but he’d known Carmy the kid’s entire life, and he knew how Carmy behaved when he was around a girl he had a crush on. He saw it when Carmy was in middle school when he always brought extra peanut butter pretzels for one of the girls in his English class. Then again, in high school, when he’d become even quieter when Claire and her friends were hanging out next door. Carmy wasn’t a kid anymore, but Richie noticed the little things he was doing for you, the subtle touches, making sure your water bottle was never empty, the way he’d watch over the baking lessons you’d give Marcus when he had downtime, but the moment that solidified Richie’s suspicion was the day Angel finally made his move. 

Richie returned to the kitchen after taking a phone call in the alley. Neither you nor Angel noticed his presence as he stood behind one of the storage racks. Angel was initially subtle, asking if you were into some punk band Richie had never heard of. When you said you’d seen them live before, Richie noticed Angel’s face light up. Then he offered you an ‘extra’ ticket he had to their upcoming show; he noticed the shallow swallow you took before awkwardly telling him you ‘were seein’ someone’. Angel’s face fell, but he nodded and playfully punched your arm before walking away. You laughed and walked into the office, leaving Richie to theorize. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there when Syd joined him, startled by Richie’s prowling. “God- you scared me… why are you standing behind the shelves?” she asked as she reached for a large stock pot. 

Richie shrugged, “You know if Carmy’s ‘friend’ from New York is seein’ anyone?” 

Syd thought for a second, “Uh, I think… she’s stayin’ with Carmy, so if she is seeing anyone, it’s not serious.”

“Wait, she’s staying with Carmy… in his studio apartment?” 

Syd nodded, not realizing what Richie was implying by his questioning. Richie rolled his eyes, “I fuckin’ knew it…”

Richie’s suspicions only grew stronger as the week continued. It’s not every day Carmy comes into work with an extra pep in his step and a faint hickey by the collar of his t-shirt. That afternoon, he finally decided to ask Carmy about your relationship. After finishing his necessary prep work, he hung out in the kitchen and waited for Carmy to head to the alley to smoke. 

“Yo.” Carmy greeted when he noticed Richie join him, leaning against the wall. Richie nodded and pulled a cigarette from the beat-up box in his pocket. 

“So… that girl…” Richie started. Carmy looked at Richie with an eyebrow raised as Richie continued. “You tappin’ that?”

Carmy scoffed before ashing out his cigarette, “Fuck off Richie.” Richie grimaced and watched Carmy walk back into the restaurant. 

“He’s tappin’ that…” Richie scoffed as he turned his attention to his phone.

~

“Shit..” Richie grumbled as he stood at the register of the corner store by his apartment building, “Yall do ApplePay?” the cashier looked at him with a bored, disheveled look before snarkily commenting about how they didn’t accept bills over $20. Richie shook his head and left the pack of cigarettes and six-pack he’d been trying to buy on the counter before heading back to his car to look for his wallet. Richie realized his wallet wasn't there as he dug through his glove box and center console. “Shit…” he swore when he concluded he must have left it at work.

Richie moved to unlock the door to The Bear’s back kitchen door when he realized it was unlocked. “Shit…” he mumbled, assuming someone had broken in; he’d left his phone in the car and figured he’d just deal with all the drama tomorrow morning. 

He expected to see pots and pans all over the counter and a broken safe in the office, but when Richie walked into the kitchen, his eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. You were sat atop the middle station with your top pulled down, exposing a bright red bra. Carmy stood between your legs with his pants undone, one of your hands hidden beneath his boxers. Richie tried to speak, but the sound of Carmy’s throaty moans made his ability to speak vanish. Your head fell back as you loudly moaned, “Louder baby… let everyone know who you belong to…” as the words left Carmy’s mouth, Richie felt his body retch. 

“You aren’t alone!” Richie yelled. You yelped in surprise and pushed Carmy away from you before yanking your top up. Richie closed his eyes and let his head fall to the floor. He heard Carmy clear his throat and the sound of a zipper pulling up. The three of you existed in an awkward silence for what felt like hours before Richie broke the silence, “So… you are tappin’ that…” 

“Shut the fuck up, Richard.”

[whimsical-musingss]

kitchen-c.b.

cursing you solves all my problems

vacationing in rock bottom, back again

so hard to do the right thing.

in which you pull Carm from rock bottom after a tough shift.

warnings: Carm has some darkness in his head, lots of fluff and domestic shit. 🤭 unedited but WHATEVER. I’m too lazy for that.

Carm Berzatto x f reader

“It’s fine, Syd, of course it is,” you say, your voice firm. “Please, go be with your dad. I can close up here.”

Syd narrows her eyes in thought and frustration, knowing that if she stayed then closing will get done faster. “Syd, it’s a no brainer. Take the time to be with him,” you interrupt her thoughts, and she slowly nods. “You sure?” She asks again.

“Yes. Please, go, go on,” you shoo her away from the stations, past Richie, who’s finishing up his work, and out the doors that leads into the dining room. Her father sits in a booth, happily waiting. “I owe you one,” Syd says, but you stop her. “You don’t owe me anything,” you smile. “See you tomorrow.”

Richie passes you as you go back into the kitchen, an unlit cigarette in between his teeth. “See ya tomorrow, peanut. Hey, listen, tell cousin to leave my shit be, yeah? He always fucks up my station, says it’s too messy, but that’s how I roll, ‘kay?” He rambles, his cigarette jumping up and down in his mouth as he talks.

“Yeah, yeah, I can try, but no promises,” you shrug. “See you later. Please drive carefully.”

“You know I won’t,” he mutters as he leaves.

The hum of the refrigerators, the distant sound of scrubbing, and the occasional splash of water is all that you hear now. You turn the corner past Marcus’ station to see Carm, on his hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. There must be a spot that you can’t see from where you’re standing because he’s obsessing over one specific spot in the tile.

“Everyone’s closed up for the night. You’ve got to be almost done, yeah?”

Your voice snaps him out of wherever he was in his head. “Yeah, yeah, almost,” he mutters, the muscles in his back flexing as he sits up to be on his knees.

“Where’d you go?” You ask, voice soft, as soft as your fingers as they trace his jawbone. He lets out a sigh through his nose, shoulders shrugging. “Dunno, just away,” he mutters, his rag forgotten on the floor.

“Do you need space, Bear?” Your voice could lull him into a deep sleep, he knows this, it’s so peaceful and blocks off the shit in his head. “No, no, baby,” he leans into your touch, his own hands, albeit damp, glide up to hold onto your thighs, as if they’re anchoring him down. “Missed you.”

“Me, too,” you let out a sigh of your own. “Can I help you here? Then we can go home, I can make you something to eat, for a change…”

“Yeah, honey. Just give me a minute,” his voice is gravelly, muffled as he lays his head on your thighs, his arms wrapped around you. Your fingers find his scalp, running through his hair. His breathing slows as he finds his footing, thumbs rubbing circles on your pants.

“I’m here,” you whisper, and he squeezes you gratefully.

“I’m done with the floor,” he says, and you nod, noticing that there was no spot on the floor, no stain, no imperfection. You’re glad he realized that himself. “Okay, Bear. Let’s get home and I can make something? What are you feeling?” His grip eases as he backs away, his hair disheveled from your fingers. He grabs the bucket full of dirty water and the rag. “I can make something for you, sweet girl,” he stands, and you can hear his joints popping. “Just say the word.”

“No, no, Carmy, I’ll make you something. I offered first. Besides, you’re always making me something, I feel bad…,” you trail off. His eyes crinkle as he smiles slightly. “Alright, alright, you got me,” he says, and you follow him as he dumps the water, and back to his office, where your coats are. He helps you into your own down jacket, and hands you your purse. He slides his own on as you zip up. “Okay, what do you want to eat?” You ask again.

“Surprise me?” Carm tilts his head, questioning you.

“Hm, sure. It’ll knock your socks off,” you grin, following him out the restaurant. You watch as his thick fingers lock the door, and then he shoves them in his jacket pockets.

“Really? All f’me?” He lets you loop your arm through his as you begin your commute home. “Yes, anything for you, Bear,” you say absentmindedly, but it’s comments like those that get Carm all flustered.

“No guesses. But I’ll give you a hint,” you continue, unaware of his flushed face. “It’s one of your favorites.”

“Oh, I think I know, baby,” he lets out a huff of laughter.

“Hush, no you don’t!” You hide your smile in your coat.

You take the L, and after a transfer and a short, cold walk, you find yourselves at your apartment. Carm likes your place more than his, and he even mentioned it to you when you were in bed, noting how quiet it is, how soft your bed is. He lives by the L, so you’re not surprised, and you let him slowly move into your own place. You don’t mind at all. His presence was comforting, his hold on you something you never knew you needed.

He watches you unlock the door, then takes two steps at a time to get to your apartment. He was more eager to get home than you were, as you trudge up the stairs, rifling through your keys to get the correct one out. “Jeez, you must be pretty damn excited for my dinner,” you smile at him teasingly as you unlock the second door.

After you both settle in, Carm sits down on your bar stool, watching you get set up at the stove. A pot, water, and then you tell him to close his eyes for the last part.

“Ta-da!” You flourish, and when he opens his eyes, he has to hold back a shit-eating grin.

“Damn, pretty lady, treating me so well,” he says between laughs.

“I know,” you say as you rip the top off of the Kraft Mac and cheese. “It’s my specialty, and you love my twist on it.”

“Yeah, dunno why I do,” he confesses, and you feign offense.

You let the noodles boil, occasionally stirring. That’s the way it was on nights after a long shift. Easy meals in a box. But Carm especially loved your Mac and cheese, because you put a spin on it and add a splash of cream, milk, and butter. The powdered cheese with extra shredded cheese. Oh, so bad for you, but he couldn’t help but love it. He watches you cook up your concoction, tongue between your teeth as you work. He finds it attractive, plus other small habits you have that he picked up on.

“Here you go, Bear,” you set a bowl in front of him. “Enjoy, it’s on the house.”

“Really, all free?” He asks as you take a seat beside him, your knee nudging his. You notice his shoulders aren’t as tense, his hands aren’t in fists, instead one hand is on the back of your neck. “Jesus, you spoil me.”

You give him a small kiss on his cheek, and you feel some stubble there. “Mhm,” you smile. “Now eat, before it gets cold.”

“Wait, hold on,” he says, his hand not leaving the back of your neck. It’s habit, he always finds himself reaching for you in that particular spot. “Just wanna say thanks.”

“No need for that,” you wave your fork in dismissal. “You’d do it for me.”

His fingers trace your neck, and you’re close to melting. “Yeah. But still. I love you.” Words were hard for him, you knew, but that was enough.

“I love you, Bear. Now please eat my specialty before it gets clumpy.”

“Clumpy…?”

[thebearer]

Hiya! Love your blog!!! I get so excited when there's a notification about you.

What do we think of carmy dealing with reader's pregnancy cravings?

ahh thank you so much <3

"You know what sounds really good?" You grin, running a hand over the swell of your tummy.

Carmen goes rigid. He's not ready. He knows he's not. not ready to hear what you're about to say.

Still, he hums, carrying on folding your clothes in the basket. You pad over to him, arms slung around his waist, running down his firm abdomen lovingly.

"I would love garlic bread." Your mouth watered. Carmen looked at you carefully. Surely there was a catch, there always was with your monstrosity of cravings.

"Yeah? Just garlic bread?" Carmen asked, cautious. He didn't want to set you off, sound too suspicious or have any sort of tone since that always resulted in your tears.

"Yeah but with the cheese and stuff." You nodded. "Do you have all the stuff for it?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course, baby. Just sit down. I gotcha." Carmen smiled, kissing your head lightly and pulling out the ingredients he needed.

Finally, a pregnancy craving that didn't make him want to throw up or feel like he needed his culinary license revoked. Your cravings were... questionable at best. Nutella grilled cheese, a peanut butter milkshake that you ate by dipping slim-jims in it, Doritos and frosting; the list went on. Carmen just had to watch. The one time he'd voiced his disgust, you'd sobbed, violently. Accusations that Carmen found you disgusting and unattractive that left him reeling with confusion.

Now, he knew better. The concoctions were vile, but maybe they were leveling out. Carmen hoped, setting your garlic bread in front of you, blushing when you peppered his cheek in kisses.

"This looks so good." You groaned, sliding past him towards the fridge.

"Thanks, baby." Carmen muttered, putting the tray in the sink. "There should be left over sauce in the middle if you want any."

"That's alright." You hummed, plucking out a different jar. Carmen stilled, watching you waddled back to your seat.

He tracked you, watching carefully as you opened the jar- a homemade jelly blackberry and peach that Marcus had made- spreading it thickly over the steaming bread. Twisting the other jar open, dill pickles, that you insisted on having even though they gave you heartburn now.

Carmen felt his stomach turn, watching you take a bite. There's no way that's good, he thought, willing his face to stay neutral. Yet, you ate it like it was.

He wanted to be disgusted, he really did. He was, in a way, but if it meant you were eating and keeping it down, meant you were nourishing the baby... how could he be mad?

So Carmen watched you, sat and chatted while you happily ate. Handed you Tums when your heartburn inevitably set in, started the dishwasher, and sat with you on the couch, head in your lap by the bump.

[zorilleerrant]

Trade you, Billy says, like they’re in elementary school. Or maybe people do still trade lunches around here, Marcus isn’t sure. All he’s sure of is that Dad mixed up their lunches again and gave him three sets of celery sticks instead of a sandwich, or cookie, or anything else, which is not enough for anyone to live off of, much less a teenager. Billy doesn’t look judgmental, though. He looks like he gets it. He offers an eggplant parm for a handful of celery and a packet of peanut butter, and he looks pleased about it. Like a friend.

[righteous-r0de0]

surprise surprise i have more useless headcanons :)

vincent plays a lot of different instruments at varying skill levels (french horn and cello are his favorites). william made him learn in an effort to reinvigorate his zest for life after being turned

after ivan’s memories were changed he fell into a really deep depression and always felt guilty and he just didn’t know why

angel got david hooked on jane the virgin. he was team michael but his favorite character is alma (jane’s grandmother)

caelum’s favorite food his spaghetti. he always makes a huge mess, so gav and freelancer circumvent this (kinda) by doing that thing where you wrap the table in cling wrap or tinfoil and forgo plates and silverware

gavin trip sits for the rest of the damn crew when they smoke. he only messes with damien a little bit

lasko is NOT a lightweight but he is a weepy drunk (ie “i just love you guys so much” absolutely sobbing)

damien gets so silly when he’s sleep deprived, laughing at everything, making dirty jokes etc

kody bleached his hair and freelancer didn’t recognize him until they were practically right next to him

huxley gets very grumpy when he’s sleep deprived, whining, crossing his arms, frowning. he doesn’t yell or anything but you just KNOW when he’s tired

if you put anything green apple flavored in front of asher, he’s absolutely tearing it up

james loves indian food. his local place always asks after him whenever his spouse orders when they miss him a lot

marcus majored in game design, but later switched to computer science and programming. he also really liked geology

anton really likes half and half (iced tea/lemonade)

ollie looks like he listens to classic white girl pop or something similar but you pull his airpods out and he’s actually listening to either heavy metal or very disturbing true crime podcasts

elliot can swing dance

brachium erased even the memories of him from sunshine, elliot, aaron, and smartass

avior loves soups and stews any kind of food he can drink

milo loves hot chip (takis, hot cheetos, doritos) they make his nose run but he can’t stop

camelopardalis is a cat person

blake wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid, but it changed when he met bestie. after that his only aspiration was to be theirs.

if aaron is given the option of sausage or bacon, he’s choosing bacon

sam can sew a little bit like mending seams and patching holes

vega doesn’t like human food. he thinks it’s strange. but he does like cheesecake.

regulus used to really enjoy cereal

geordi’s favorite fruit is bananas

guy LOVES bo burnham

morgan is really good at point and shoot games. it’s nothing to do with the sight or anything, they’re just his favorite

hush really likes chocolate and chocolate flavored things

porter’s favorite candy is reese’s peanut butter cups dude is a fiend for them

[slimybeth69]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Thank you for @joelmillerisapunk for the tag!! I love doing these

These are all rough, rough drafts--

Thirst

“Don’t apologize," Lady Lucilla’s voice is sweet and calming.

Something about her gentle touch while she cleans the blood off your arm is comforting even though she is the wife of the man you just let publicly claim you in front of what felt like the entirety of Rome. “This must hurt,” she gives you a playful half smile as she speaks, her eyes meeting yours for the first time since you both sat down. 

“Do you hate me?” Your voice comes out small, and scared because as kind as Lucilla has been, she is rather intimidating in so many different ways. She’s tall, so beautiful and you know that she does hold power in your life as Marcus’ wife. 

Lucilla pinches her brows and narrows her eyes. “Why would I hate you?” 

It’s hard to not get lost in the blueness of her eyes, and how they shine even in the dim candle light that barely lights up the room. 

“I’m fucking your husband?” You stare at her, in awe of how she is handling her composure.

Girl Dinner

With the shock collar still around his neck, and now, two pairs of oven mitts secured to each of his fists, Joel watches you until his arms from the chair. 

He is stiff, and misses the fucking sun. Joel just wants to the feel the warmth on his face- but he can’t really even think about that now, he’s thinking of all the ways he’s going to fucking knock you out the minute you crawl into his lap. 

He’ll knock the shock collar remote out of your hand, headbutt you– a real one, he’ll go right for your nose and try and break it– then he will wrap his big strong arms around you, and squeeze until he can feel your ribs snap.

He’s got it all planned out- until he hears the sound of more duct tape ripping, and he wonders what part of him you’re going to tape next. 

Joel watches in horror as you tape the remote to your palm, your thumb gingerly laid across the button that would shock Joel probably into next week. You wrap the tape until Joel can barely see the remote anymore. 

You’re more resourceful than he thought, and that’s terrifying. Joel is almost sixty years old– he’s being outsmarted by some insane woman who lives in a mall in what now is the woods outside of Jackson. 

How did you get here? Where’s the rest of your group or community? Joel hasn’t seen a single other person since he got here, and he hasn’t seen or heard you interact or say you had to go meet up with anyone since he’s been here. 

There is no way you’re surviving out here all on your own on peanut butter, raspberries and whiskey. 

“Let me go,” his voice croaks. “C’mon. Y’don’t really wanna do this.” He’s pleading. He hasn’t fully begged yet, not pathetically– which is what you must want to hear. You wanna hear Joel– the big strong man cry and whine and beg for you to let him go. 

You drop the roll of tape on the floor beside your feet, “Got some rules ya’ gotta follow, Mister.” You ignore Joel, taking an inched step towards him. “Number one is ya’ don’t hit. You don’t hit– I don’t hit. Sound fair? Good.”

Joel rolls his eyes and is immediately met with a tense muscle spasm in the entire right side of his face and down his neck. It spreads out over his shoulder and part of his chest. 

It lasts for only a split second, but it leaves Joel panting, his brow already beaded in sweat from just that short electric shock. 

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ– don’t fuckin’,” he starts to warn you with a stern tone and narrow eyes– but he’s greeted by your wet, stare only inches from his. 

Your mouth opens and closes once, twice… three times before any sound comes out. “M’so sorry,” you whine, one single tear falling from the corner of your eye. “I really don’t like hurtin’ ya’-- I don’t wanna do it, so don’t give me reason to, right?” 

Joel glares at you while deep down inside him somewhere his heart twists slightly. 

Awww, look it’er cryin’. Cute lil thang, alone, out here in the woods–

Joel blinks twice as you crawl into his lap, your soft, warm body pressing against his tentatively, as if you were waiting for him to start fighting you off, to start screaming and shouting at you. 

NPT: @gothcsz @bonezone44 @lotusbxtch @probablyreadinsmut @quinnnfabrgay-writes @baronessvonglitter

[cwritesforfun]

The Bear: Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto x Fem!Reader: Crush

You work at the Bear as the hostess when Sugar needs help and you're close with Carmy, Sydney, and Marcus. You like everyone else, but you're just closest with those three. Richard keeps trying to force you and Carmy to be alone together, so he annoys you right now. (YES, the plot has changed.)

Y/N = Your Name

Your POV

You open your phone bright and early to see a text from Carmy: Call me if you get this before 5:30 or before you leave. You click the call button next to his number and wait for him to answer.

****Start of conversation Y/N - Hey Chef... what's up? Carmy - Richard said you live near me. Could you drive me to work? Y/N - Yeah, uh can you send me your address? I just finished breakfast and I just need to get my shoes on. Carmy - Yeah, okay I sent it. Y/N - You're only a 5 minute drive from me. I'll be there soon. I'll text you when I leave. Carmy - Thanks Y/N... Thanks, Chef. End of conversation****

You wait in your car for Carmy and see him exit his building. He climbs into your car and you let him buckle his seatbelt before driving off.

As you drive, Carmy says, "So... uh my car... it uh broke down yesterday. Richard doesn't have his license and he didn't want to risk driving me to work. I think he just didn't want to drive me because he drives me around all the time. He told me you lived closer to me than he did. So I called you. Thanks for ... thanks for driving me." You exclaim, "It's totally okay. I don't mind. I like getting to work early and you live very close, so this works out for us both. Do you need a ride back to your place after work too?" He answers, "Yeah if you don't mind." You reply, "No, I don't. I can drive you until you get your car fixed. It's cool. Do you want a homemade protein bar?" He answers, "Sure... I guess." You reply, "You can say no, I don't care. It's the only way I can survive working these shifts. It has peanut butter, maple syrup, protein powder, oats, and that's it. They're delicious and they fuel you until the next meal." He replies, "I'll try one, then. If you care about it this much and you made them, they have to be good." You keep driving and you hear Carmy say, "Fuck, these are good. I could eat a whole tray." You reply, "Thanks."

We park, you hand out the rest of the protein bars to the rest of the staff, and you help set up and clean the dining area once more. You then help Marcus with desserts. You used to always say that dessert was your favorite meal, but now it's tied with dinner. Pasta and garlic bread together could kill you, but you'd be okay with it because you'd die happy. Making desserts brings you so much joy because there's something so amazing about the process of picking the right amount of ingredients to decorating them before customers eat them.

Your shift starts and it's packed. It's Saturday and there are tons of people hustling in. You even fill the bar with walk-ins. Richard runs the dining room with ease and you can tell he's at home here. At a quiet moment, he slides behind the hostess stand next to you and asks, "So, how was the ride this morning?" You answer, "Carmy and I talked. He liked the protein bars I made. It was good. He thinks you had an ulterior motive for not driving him." He smirks and replies, "I did. I want one of you to cut that sexual tension and confess your feelings." You laugh and say, "He's my boss and I like this job." He replies, "We both know you're just passing time here because you love the people. You make way more at your weekday job. You could easily quit working here and date him." You reply, "I could. I don't know. I am not quitting." You hear, "What's this about quitting?" You see Carmy standing there looking between the both of you. Richard says, "I was just telling dear sweet Y/N that she could quit working here. She makes more during the week. She doesn't need to overwork herself." Carmy turns to you and asks, "Are you overworking yourself?" You answer, "No I'm not. Thanks for your concern." Carmy says, "Yeah no problem. It's time for your 15-minute break and I was wondering if you wanted to take it with me. Richard can handle it out here." You answer, "Sure, yeah. Richard can handle it." Richard says, "I hate you when you two gang up on me. Just date already and make me happy." Carmy and I both shove Richard who says, "That was scarily in sync."

Outside, you eat a donut that was messed up by Marcus and Carmy smokes by your side. Carmy exclaims, "I know you don't have to come in on weekends and you shouldn't feel obligated because Sugar asked you to. I don't want you to overwork yourself and not have time for yourself because it's important to care for yourself. I don't want you to not be okay. I just... I care about you." You reply, "I care about you too and don't want you to overwork yourself either. You work as much as me, Carmy. I don't feel obligated to work because of Sugar or anyone else. I like working at the Bear because I love the people here. I have Sunday off every week and usually I get to work from home at least 2 days a week, so the work week feels less stressful. I will let you know if I ever need a break." He nods and says, "Good good. I want you to be able to come to me if you ever need anything." You reply, "Same to you. I'm here if you ever need anything too. Speaking of, I'm making dinner for Marcus, Sydney, and I tonight after work? Do you want to come over too?" He asks, "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to mess up your plans together." You answer, "It's all good. We just eat, drink, and either play games or watch tv. It's really chill and nice." He replies, "Ok, as long as you let me help cook." I reply, "Sounds good. I could always use the help."

When you told Sydney and Marcus that Carmy was joining for dinner, they were so happy. They also want you to tell Carmy that you like him. Why does everyone want you to? chill...

Carmy gets in your car after work and says, "Sorry that you had to wait. I had to make sure things were all set for tomorrow morning." You reply, "It's okay. Do you need anything from your apartment before we go to my place? I can stop." He answers, "Yeah I do, thank you."

You drive to his apartment and wait for him in the car. He tells you that he is going to take a 5-minute shower and then he'll be down.

You drive to your apartment when Carmy gets back and park in your spot in the garage. Carmy asks, "Do you have to walk in this garage every night?" You answer, "Yeah, why?" He answers, "I just want you to be careful." You reply, "Awww you're very caring today. It's sweet." He replies, "I don't think anyone's ever said I was sweet unless it was as a joke." You reply, "Carmen Berzatto, you're genuinely one of the kindest people I know. You go out of your way and show people you care about them despite all you've been through. You always make me feel cared for and understood. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He replies, "Thank you." You reach over, squeeze his hand, and say, "I meant every word." He squeezes your hand back and smiles.

After getting to your apartment, you give Carmy a quick tour of the place. You have a 2-bedroom apartment with your best friend from college who is visiting her boyfriend out of town for the week. It's small, but it's yours and it's great.

You put music on your speaker then head to the kitchen. Carmy asks, "What can I do to help?" You answer, "I'm making chicken, fried rice, and stir-fry vegetables. It's essentially just chicken fried rice. I made dessert last night too that I can break out later. Do you want to help chop vegetables?" Carmy answers, "Yes Chef. It sounds like it will be a good meal, have you made it before?" You hand him vegetables and say, "Yeah it's one of my favorite things to make for people. Marcus requests it at least once a month and Sydney requested the dessert." He takes the vegetables as you set out knives on a chopping board for him to start cutting stuff. You have just enough time to start the rice when you hear the doorbell ring.

Sydney and Marcus walk in. Sydney says, "I present you with tonight's wine and beer of choice. We got dry Riseling wine and Pilsner beer to pair with our dinner. Then, we brought vodka for the dessert cocktail." You cheer and say, "I'm so excited. This'll be great." You go back to prepping the meal to see that Carmy is working fast. You should've known he'd be quick. He's a chef for a living. Sydney asks, "Y/N, do you want a glass of wine or a beer as you cook?" You answer, "Beer please." Sydney asks, "What about you, Carmy?" Carmy answers, "Yeah, I'll take a beer, sure."

Sydney and Marcus stand by talking to you and Carmy as you cook. The cooking time flies by and it's time to eat. You put the dessert in the center of the table for after dinner. You made red velvet brownies.

At the dinner table after everyone is served, Marcus exclaims, "And today, we thank the world for bringing Y/N to the Bear. Without her, I wouldn't have a dessert buddy or this chicken fried rice." You laugh and Sydney says, "I can't wait for dessert. I'm gonna need the rest to-go. Don't eat too much boys." Carmy asks, "Why aren't you a chef? This is fucking delicious." Sydney says, "Woah there Carmy. Save some compliments for the rest of us, buddy." You laugh and say, "Thank you all for the kind words. I have some already packed to-go for you, Sydney." Sydney replies, "And this is why I love you!"

Soon enough, the beer and wine are finished. And the cocktails begin... they work tomorrow, which is wild how much they're consuming. We're sitting on the couch now. Carmy is next to you and his arm has been wrapped around your shoulder for most of the night. You don't mind at all, but will he regret it? I guess it's not a kiss.

After you all watch a movie, Marcus announces to everyone he needs sleep. Carmy seems confused when Marcus pulls out a blow-up mattress and starts to inflate it. Oh, guess you forgot to tell him that they usually spend the night. You should never drink and drive, so Marcus brings an air mattress. Sydney sleeps on the couch. You make breakfast for them or have something prepped to take on-the-go for them in the morning depending on how much you drink.

You exclaim, "Carmy, uh... could you help me carry the stuff on the table into the kitchen?" Carmy nods and he helps you bring stuff to the kitchen before he asks, "Why are Marcus and Sydney getting ready for bed here?" You answer, "Right, yeah I forgot to tell you that. They spend the night if they drink a lot or if one of them isn't the designated driver. I even make them breakfast in the mornings too. I just want them to be taken care of and safe. You're welcome to stay the night too...or I can call you a cab. The only place is in my bed if you're okay sharing." He asks, "Only if it's okay with you? I don't think I would make it back to my place honestly." You answer, "It's all good. There are extra toothbrushes and stuff in the bathroom closet that you can use." He replies, "Yeah I'll go get ready for bed then. Will you be coming to bed soon?" You reply, "Yes, I just want to make sure both of them are all good before I go to sleep." He nods and walks off.

You go to make sure that Marcus and Sydney are taken care of. Sydney pulls you to her and says, "OMG! So are you and Carmy like dating or something?" You ask, "Why would you think that?" She answers, "Dude, he had his arm around you, he was positive, and he complimented you. If you're not having sex to make him happy, I'm seriously questioning his mental state." You reply, "I feel like that's rude to say. He is allowed to be happy." Marcus replies, "And you are too, you know? With or without him, we support you." You reply, "That's so sweet, Marcus. Thank you both. Now, what do you guys want for breakfast? I have stuff for burritos, pancakes, or overnight oatmeal." Sydney says, "We want burritos. I can guarantee you that is what Marcus wants." Marcus laughs and nods. You talk with them a bit more before you lay out some stuff for breakfast then head to your room. You need to shower so badly...you stink so much from work.

Carmy is staring at your bed when you walk in. You laugh and say, "The bed won't bite, Carmy. You can take either side. I sleep on the side where that book is if you don't want to take my side. I'm going to shower, but I'll be back soon. Feel free to read any of the books or look at anything. I trust you and I don't care." He nods and you go to the bathroom. You then throw on your matching set of pajamas. You leave the bathroom to see Carmy looking at your book and photo collection. You ask, "See anything you like?" Carmy answers, "Yeah actually I'm really impressed with your photos. Did you take all of them? And have you read all of these books?" You laugh, stand next to him, and answer, "I have read the top two shelves. That cart is books I need to read still. The photos are all mine, except the ones I'm in. Those were mostly taken by family members. I can always take more of the Bear if you guys ever need any promotional content." He replies, "Thanks, I might just take you up on it. Your bed is comfy by the way. I uh... I didn't know how comfortable you were with me sleeping there so I waited for you." You sit on your bed and pat the space next to you. He walks over and gently sits next to you. You say, "See, that's not so bad. And, I don't care that we're going to share this bed. I feel safe around you and I trust you. It's all good." He asks, "Why do you always compliment me? I mean, everyone at work hates me during work hours because of how much I scream and the standards I hold people to. But you... you just see the light in me." He looks so broken. It's truly sad he doesn't see what you see. You put your hand on his shoulder gently and say, "Because of what I see in you, Carmy. I see someone so kind and safe and trusting and hard-working. Yes you can scream, but we all can and that's the way of the kitchen. You do apologize when you're in the wrong and that's what counts. The standards you set are the reason that the Bear has such delicious food and has a steady influx of customers. You wanted this place to be successful and you had a dream. People just need to see what you see and once they know the standard, it's golden. So yes, I will compliment you when I want to." He puts his hand on the one on his shoulder and says, "You're so perfect... listen, I heard you all talking in the living room. If everyone thinks we're already dating, why don't we give it a try?" You answer, "Sure, when we're both free next, we can go on a date." He asks, "What would you say if I took off tomorrow and we just spent it together?" You ask, "You are going to take off tomorrow. I don't believe that for one second." He smirks and replies, "Richard and Sydney can handle it. I have a date I need to go on." You smile and say, “If you take off, I will gladly go on a date with you tomorrow. And if you don’t take off work tomorrow, I’m free after 5 every night this week and I’m off on Sundays every week.” He replies, “I’ll call Richard right now. Here we go. I’ll even put him on speaker phone so he behaves.”

You laugh.

**** Start of conversation Richard - Is something wrong, Carmy? You never call me this late. Carmy - Everything is fine. Look, I’m with Y/N right now. Richard - Define with. Are you dating her now? Why are you at her house late? Did you get laid? Give me more. Y/N - Chill, Richard. Richard - Oh hi … wow Carmy wasn’t lying that you were there. Carmy - I’m at her place, moron. Now listen, I’m taking off work tomorrow all day so I can go on a date with Y/N and spend the day with her. Richard - Holy shit you’re not coming to work! Y/N really has changed you. This is blowing my mind right now. I should’ve bought a lotto ticket tonight. Damn it. Carmy - Cousin, shut up. Tell me, can you handle tomorrow? Richard - Yes I can. The staff and I can. I know how everything runs and I will call you after closing to tell you how it goes to make you happy. Although you will probably be getting laid, so you’ll already be happy. Y/N - Please shut up. Carmy - Yeah Cousin, there is a lady present. Bye and thank you. Richard - Use protection kids. End of conversation ****

After hanging up the phone, you ask, “How does it feel? You’re going to get to sleep in and you’re going on a date tomorrow.” Carmy answers, “Honestly, I’m excited. This might be the best day of this year for me.” You laugh and lean your head on his shoulder. He cuddles close to you and says, “I wasn’t really nervous about sharing a bed with you … I was nervous about telling you my feelings and then you rejecting me or just wanting to be friends. I've been overthinking how I should tell you my feelings and when. Richard has also been pushing me about it and I knew deep down that he was right.” I laugh and say, "Don't let him hear you say that. I do have to get up to make breakfast for Sydney and Marcus in the morning, but I will go back to bed after." He says, "Wait one second, I'll be right back." He slides out from under me and walks out my room. OK?? What??

Carmy returns looking confused and weirded out. I ask, "Where did you go? You have a weird face right now." He gets in bed, opens his arms for me, and says, "They were just drunk and were happy that I asked you out. I forget how honest people are when they are drunk. It was weird. I just went to ask them if it was okay that you didn't make them breakfast because I wanted you to have sleep and to sleep in with me. I hope that's okay. I just heard you talk with Richard about how you don't want to overwork yourself and I want you to have rest for the week." I kiss him on the cheek and say, "You're so sweet. I'm not mad. I'm very glad you were looking out for me."

PART TWO

[pintsizemama]

Christmas Craft Fair

Day 11

Summary: Marcus & Peanut shop at the craft fair.

Pairings: Marcus Pike x You, Marcus Pike x Female Reader (Peanut)

Fandom: The Mentalist

Rating: Mature

Warnings: talk of drinking

Word Count: 542

A/N: This takes place before The Proposal

Marcus & Peanut Masterlist

Day 10 Day 12 Christmas Masterlist Main Masterlist AO3 Join my taglist

Marcus’s hand was warm and strong clasped in yours. You walked leisurely by all the booths at the Christmas craft fair. You always loved coming to these. It was so much fun to see all the creative things people made for the holidays. You had just closed the sale of your home in DC last week, and were now settled…well, settling back in Seattle. You didn’t have a place here yet, so you were staying with your parents until you found something.

Sarah was in heaven with 24/7 uninterrupted Grandma and Grandpa time. And your parents were thrilled as well. You had planned to bring your daughter with you today, but your mom insisted you and Marcus enjoy some adult time. So, you decided to take advantage of a baby free shopping trip and buy the rest of your Christmas gifts.

“Do you think my mom would like that?” Marcus asked. You looked to where he was pointing. It was a Christmas sweater that said ‘Best Grandma Ever’.

“Oh my god, yes!” You said immediately. “But you know my mom is gonna want one too.”

“I figured that,” he replied. “They have different colors, so we can get them each one.”

“Perfect,” you agreed. “Let’s get a blue one for your mom since it’s her favorite, and red for mine.” Marcus stepped into the booth to buy the sweaters.

“I think we should give these to them on Christmas Eve so they can wear them on Christmas day,” Marcus said after he paid.

“Good idea.” You walked along and bought more gifts as you went. You had already gotten everyone the big items. This was just some fun extras you guys wanted to get for everyone.

“Oh my god,” Marcus gasped as you approached a woodworking booth. He rushed over and picked up a beautiful doll cradle. It was solid wood and gorgeously crafted. It had a cute tufted headboard with a scene of baby bears on it and a matching blanket and pillow set.

“I have to get this for Sarah,” Marcus told you. “She will love it.” You smiled at your handsome boyfriend. He loved to spoil his little girl.

“She definitely would love this,” you said. Marcus quickly purchased it, afraid to lose out since it was the only one.

“I think we should head back to the car and unload some of this stuff,” you said. Both your arms were very full now.

“Good idea,” Marcus agreed. “Do you want to walk around more or do you want to grab lunch?”

“Mmm,” you moaned. “Lunch sounds good.” Marcus smiled

“Alright,” he said, “how about the pub?”

“Yes!” You shouted. The pub was a local favorite, but it had been years since you’d been there. Living in DC—and then having Sarah when you came to visit—made it impossible to go.

“Oh man, I’m getting a pint for sure,” you said. “Maybe two!”

“I’m not carrying your drunk ass home, Peanut,” Marcus warned.

“You totally would if I needed you to,” you teased.

“I would,” Marcus sighed.

“That’s one of the reasons I love you,” you sing songed.

“C’mon, you lush,” Marcus said. “Let’s go get your beer.” You giggled and followed him to the car.

Day 12

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[ciaomarie]

Part 5: What Then?

It's finally Sydney's one year work anniversary! A little slice of fluff to tide us over. Quick summary of the last 4 parts- Its been about 5-6 months since The Bear opened, the slowburn is slowburning,, and Carmy wants to make Syd an shareholder. Please excuse grammar/spelling. My contacts are fizzling out.

Sydney woke up with cheerful expectation before her alarm rang. Today was her work anniversary or “workversary”. A year ago, she strode into The Beef praying that this was her chance to make something great with one of the best chefs in the industry. Then in a couple short months The Beef had closed, the process of The Bear began, and since it’s opening her hopes of creating lifelong memories for people and of obtaining a star seemed possible. The dream was becoming more concrete every day.

She got ready eagerly and grabbed the garment bag with her freshly dry-cleaned custom chef’s coat. More than just the significance of the day, Syd felt like something special was going to happen. Carmy had brought up this anniversary almost every day for the past week. Obviously, he was hiding something, and she was ravenous to know what it was. She tried every truth extraction tactic she could think of, from feigning nonchalance to making him a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich, to shameless pouting. The last almost worked, but Richie walked by interrupting her performance. Carm snapped out of her spell and from that moment refused to hint about today. Richie teased her ever since and even last night he left a voice note impersonating her honeyed murmur “Carmy, pleasssseee tell me…I’d wouldn’t hide anything from you” followed by retching noises.

Oh, well. She liked good surprises.  

The morning was uneventful, but during staff lunch Carmy announced that it was Sydney’s work anniversary and Marcus brought out a sublime vertical carrot cake for everyone. He even made an additional small cake for her to take home and share with her father. It was so divine that if the cake was all she got, she would have been thankful, and she told him as much.

“Marcus, you are incredible! If you ever need a kidney, just make me this,” she moaned.

“I’ll remember that chef” he answered scratching his neck and bashfully ducking back into the kitchen. His crush on her was mostly snuffed out the night of Friends and Family, but occasionally those old feelings resurfaced.

As Sydney reached the peak of a blissful sugar high Carm asked her to join him in Natalie’s office. First a cake and now the mystery reveal!

They asked her to take the seat of honor, aka the comfortable chair, behind the desk. Nat looked pleased and relaxed, while Carmy was harder to read. His expression was a mixture of agitation and gladness as he drummed his fingers on his knee. For a moment they sat in silence.

“What is it?” Sydney blurted.

“Carm, tell her!” Natalie ordered with an exasperated smile.  

Taking a deep breath Carmen gushed forth,

“Sydney, I don’t even know where I’d be, where The Bear would be, without you. You put in a crap ton of hours without pay during the reno, you kill it in the kitchen every day, we created the menu together, the staff respects you, you kept everything running when I was sick and…and…we want to give you a share in the restaurant.”

Sydney slumped back in the chair, speechless and gazed at them her pupils dilated like saucers.

Natalie went on to explain further, handing her a contract.

“If you accept, your share would be equivalent to Carm and I. Of ‘course none of us will see additional income until we pay back Uncle Cicero, but we didn’t want to wait to make it clear that you are essential to The Bear, to our family.”

Carmy held his breath. He had been elated about this for days, but now he doubted. Yes, Sydney wanted a star, and she loved the work, but would she want to be tied to The Bear, and by extension to him?

Sydney sat up, clutching the contract, and shook her head in amazement.

“You’re serious? A share? An equal share?”

“Yeah, of ‘course” Carmy replied, his ocean tinted eyes imploring her to believe it.

“Okay” she conceded softly, her vision blurred with tears, and she stood up to embrace her now legal partners.

Natalie swooped in first with one of her famous hugs and whispered, “Thank you.”

Then Carm overwhelmed with relief pulled her close, his lips slightly brushing her cheek.

Just then someone tapped on the door and Natalie opened it. It was Uncle Cicero eating a slice of Marcus’s cake.

“Hey, Uncle Cicero, to what do we owe this pleasure?” Natalie enquired.

“Well, my lawyer said he sent the contract over this morning, so I just wanted to officially welcome our new partner to the business and to the family! Sydney you’re a class act and this one couldn’t have picked better,” Uncle Cicero answered with a wink at Carmy. Then he beckoned for Syd to give him a hug, which she did her face hot with a mixture of happiness and self-consciousness. She felt like she was an honorary Berzatto.

“Well, I got to head out. We’ll talk again soon Sydney,” Cicero said warmly and beckoned Carm to follow him.

As they walked through the restaurant and out to his car, Cicero praised his nephew for making The Bear a success so far, raved about the cake and most importantly for making their monthly installments. Then he said something very strange.

“Carmen, you’re doing this right with that girl. Wise to get the business side squared away first. Oh, and I got a ring guy, he could get you a good deal.”

Carmy was jolted from the hazy cloud of contentment that enveloped him since Sydney accepted the offer.

“Why would I need a ring guy?”

“Hey, I know young people do things differently these days. Some wait for years, but when you’re ready to get engaged I got a connect.” Cicero explained.

 “Well, uh, Sydney and I aren’t dating,” Carmy responded with a shade of longing in his voice.

“You broke up!?”

“We’ve never dated.”

“Then who were you seeing right before the restaurant opened?”

“Claire.”

“Who’s Claire?”

“She was from our old neighborhood; It didn’t work out. I was Alex Gonzalez during a lot of the reno. Why did you think I was dating Sydney?”

Cicero cocked his head, scrutinizing Carm with the intensity of an owl. That look would make Mike Tyson falter.

“Why do you think I thought you two were dating?”

Carmy blushed with a crooked smile, rubbing his chin.

Cicero sighed, got into his car, and rolled down the window.

“Don’t overthink it nephew. I could��ve been married to the love of my life if I wasn’t such a know-it-all manichino (dummy) in my youth.”

Carmy blinked, confused.

“But you are married.”

“Yeah, and she’s great. Not the love of my life though.”

With those words Cicero waved and took off.

Carmy stood for a minute to clear his mind before heading back inside. He knew Sydney was probably recovered from shock and waiting for him with dozens of questions about their new arrangement.

Also, would another hug be out of order?

[silverstudios]

Mum says it's my turn to write!

(Based on that break in idea I had)

The plan was simple, Patrick had told them, wait for the owner to leave, smash the window in the back, steal everything not bolted down. It was simple:sell everything they stole to the pawn shop down the street and under that shitty breakfast place, make bank, go back to the frat house and use that money to party all night long. 

Marcus glanced at the other three of this “Operation”, Patrick (their self proclaimed “Leader”), Nicholas (the “Brains”- the mere thought made Marcus roll his eyes), and Tom (that football playing brute). And then, of course, him- the only one of the group who knows how to drive a car. 

Truth be told- he knew this was a stupid, bad idea. They were committing theft, a crime punishable by law, and even if the police here were chill as hell, that doesn’t mean this was alright. But he needed that cash, and he needed the good social credit with these dumbasses to get through the rest of his college courses in peace. 

He just has to finish those courses- and then he can leave this backwater town behind and live it with his business major in some fancy city somewhere. 

“Oh- there they are.” Patrick whispered and pulled the group down into the bush- poor thing- and watched as a lanky person exited the house, locking the door behind them. Marcus raised a brow at the weird outfit- white lab coat and red goggles?- before shaking his head and watching as this poor bastard entered into their car- beaten up thing, almost as bad as his car is- and drove off. 

The rag tag team of thieves waited for a few more moments to see if they’d return, but after a minute or two Patrick stood, smiled at them and motioned for the group to move. 

Marcus took a deep breath to banish away the rising feelings of guilt and shame as he followed after his “friends”- god they were actually going to do this, robbing this poor guy blind- and had to close his eyes as Tom broke the lock on the back window, shoving it up so hard a small crack formed on it. 

“Remember- everything that isn’t bolted down.” Patrick snickered- like this was funny, like this was a fucking gaming and not a criminial action- and climbed in, followed shortly by the other two. Marcus waited at the window, his stomach flipping and throat thick. 

He could run and leave these dumbfucks with no ride back, he could do the right thing and call the police station, there are many things he could do…

And he chose to climb into that window. 

…It was a nice house, a bit small from the looks of it. The kitchen seemed nice, with its wooden floors…with….claw marks on them??? Maybe the dude has a pet. There was a cork board with newspaper clips pinned to it, a sink full of dishes (mood my guy, mood)....multiple things of peanut butter jars on the counter (not even the good kind of peanut butter) and a fridge with more claw marks on it. 

Marcus looked toward the others, who were already shoving glasses and pictures into their shitty backpacks, and sighed. They seem to have the kitchen under control…

He wanders out of the kitchen, looking around the living room. The guy had turned the lights off, making it nearly pitch black in there. Marcus slammed his hand on the wall and began fumbling for a light switch, eyes downward looking for any small critter on the floor. He might be robbing a house but dammit he will not kick someone’s pet, even by accident. 

The light flashed on, bright and sudden, and made Marcus squint his eyes shut. This dude has a lightbulb that has the power of the sun, or maybe all those drinks from last night were still messing with him….

He blinked away the spots in his eyes, sighed heavily and flung his backpack off his back. He looked up, ready to see what kind of things he could fit in this dinky old bag-

And his heart stopped in his chest. 

Sitting there, on the couch, a mostly eaten sandwich in its hands, blinking just as heavily as he was (maybe he had flashbanged it as well when he turned that light on), making direct eye contact with him…

Was something he thought was just a small town boogeyman, a grim fairy tale to keep the kids from being stupid and trusting strangers. The Smiling snatcher, east ridge  demon, whatever other fucking nickname this town had for this- This creature. This creature that, even while Sitting down, could tower over him. This creature which was slowly gaining a twisted, malicious grin on its face, its snack placed onto the coffee table next to the beaten up couch. 

“Ey Marcus, found anything good?-'' Patrick stopped dead in his tracks next to him, his breath caught in his throat. And based on the pause on the rustling, the other two dumbfucks either saw the creature as it stood through the little kitchen window thing or heard their fearless leader shitting himself-

But they all heard this creature Snicker and glare at them…

And if anyone was near this house- they would have heard all four boys scream bloody murder as it charged forward, a sickening cackle escaping it. 

…

…

Alex flung their door open with a loud sigh. Just another day working for Lankman, another day of intense guilt and mild annoyance at all the incorrect veligun information stated as truth. They glanced up, blinking for a few seconds….and sighed even louder. 

Clyde laid across the couch, a satisfied looking smirk on it’s face, a hand resting on it’s chest and tail flung over the top of the couch. Claw marks lined the walls that weren’t there this morning, a keep plastic table they had gotten a few days ago sat broken in half and they could barely make out the sight of their back kitchen window being both open and broken. 

Part of them wanted to ask, part of them wanted to know….but the rest of them was just too tired to give a single shit. 

“Hiiiiii Sandwich man~” Cylde purred from it’s spot as Alex passed it. “How was work?” “Same as always, awful and guilt wrecking.” “Hey, at least you have tomorrow off, yes?” “Yeah at least there’s that-” Alex paused, looking back toward Clyde with a raised brow. “.......Clyde?” “Yes?” “......Why do I hear….screaming, coming from you?” The veligun merely smiled larger, it’s clawed fingers tapping across it's chest and shrugged. Alex watched it for a second…sighed and shook their head. “Want a sandwich?” “Yes!” It sat up quickly, a short, muffled chorus of screams and shrieks racing from it’s body. Alex just rolled their eyes and headed into the kitchen, taking a mental note of the four backpacks sat in the corner.

[edgarapoecolouredglasses]

Chapter 3: 2014

——————————

Gaz had enlisted in the army, and as the months passed, he found himself buried in basic training. Every letter he sent back to you was filled with updates, jokes, and thoughts about how he missed home.

At first, it was the simplest things. He missed the comfort of home, his mum's cooking, and the big-city life. But the more time he spent away, the more he realized something he hadn't expected to feel. It wasn't just London he missed; it was you.

He suddenly found himself hoping for letters from you every mail call. 

He thought back to all those times you two had spent together, late-night talks, laughing about silly things, or supporting each other during stressful moments. Those memories hit him in a way he hadn't expected. He started having feelings for the thought of you that weren't mere friendship—it was more.

But you had a boyfriend, and he wasn't about to get in the way of that.

You were happy with Marcus. Or at least, it seemed that way. You had someone who was there for you when Gaz couldn't be, and he respected that, even if it made his chest ache every time he thought about it. So he did what any handsome 18-year-old might do when faced with feelings he couldn't act on—he buried them... under lots and lots of conquests.

The few girls on base were easy distractions. They didn't remind him of you, didn't carry the weight of years of friendship and feelings.

The first girl he pursued was Sadie Dawson—a cadet at the army's IT academy. She was everything you weren't. Loud, obnoxious, and honestly kind of bitchy. The kind of girl who talked back to officers with a grin and had a sharp, cutting wit that left most people either laughing or fuming.

She was the opposite of his type, which was perfect because, on paper, his type was quite literally you.

He was lingering in the rec room, trying to focus on a game of cards when she plopped down across from him, kicked her feet up on the table, and smirked.

"Garrick," she drawled, tossing a peanut at him. "You're staring."

He wasn't staring in the slightest, but he played along anyway. "Am I?"

"Yeah. What, you want ta try to take me to your dorm or just admire me from a distance?"

He let out a short laugh. "Don't think I'm supposed to do that."

She shrugged, playful but completely unbothered. "You're not. But I'm bored, and you look like you need a distraction."

And maybe she was right.

She was easy to flirt with, and shameless in a way that made it impossible to overthink things. When she laughed, it was sharp and teasing, nothing soft or warm about it. When she leaned in close, there was no hesitation, no weight of something unsaid.

That was the appeal.

She wasn't you.

So when she dragged him outside later that night, mischief in her eyes, he didn't resist.

After a night that was mediocre at best, Sadie didn't last very long in the academy.

She had the confidence, the physical strength, and the cocky attitude to hold her own in training, but the discipline? The grind? The relentless, soul-crushing routine? That was another story. It didn't take long before she realized this wasn't for her. A few weeks later, she was gone, leaving nothing behind except a few half-hearted goodbyes and a smug little wink in Kyle's direction.

He didn't miss her. They barely talked after that night.

And maybe that was the trick—bury it all under enough distractions, and eventually, the feelings wouldn't matter anymore.

What stuck with him wasn't her—just the realization that it had worked.

That night with her had been a turning point, the first step in proving to himself that he could let go of whatever lingering feelings he had for you

Slowly, with each new face, each intimate encounter, the thoughts of you faded. The ache in his chest became a dull throb, a distant memory. The more time he spent with other girls, the more the feelings he had for you slowly dissipated.

It didn't happen all at once. After Sadie, it was just a little easier to go to bed without thinking of you. Then it was easier to think about those moments he'd shared with you without getting butterflies in his stomach. Eventually, he found himself not thinking like that about you at all.

And he convinced himself it was for the best. He was in the army now. His future was ahead of him, and there was no time for lingering feelings from the past.

[secretsandwriting]

Come On Darling

Part one has gotten a lot of attention and all the comments were really motivating so have a part two. Idk how good it is, i wrote this in the same general time it took me to write part one so hopefully it's decent.

Part One

"Hello, welcome to Roselight! How may I help you today?" The girl working there didn't even stutter when she saw Noah. She must be used to it in such an expensive shop like this one.

"I need a new tailored suit, she needs a full closet." You could almost see the dollar signs adding up behind her eyes.

"Of course! I'll have the tailors get prepared. As for her what are you thinking about for full closet? Different styles? All dressy? Casual? Sexy?" She didn't even look at you, just paying attention. While she and Noah were talking, you looked around the store. Eyes stopping on one of the other employees smiled at you. She was dressed down a little more than all the others, still in all designer. She seemed more normal then high class like everyone else working.

"Well, then are you ready to start shopping?" She was looking at you expectantly.

"No." Noah's arm you were told to hold onto tightened. His hand resting on yours. Not a threat a warning. "I was hoping I could work with her." You motioned to the employee you had seen earlier. Noah's arm relaxed.

"Unfortunately, she's not a shopper. She just helps stock and bag items."

"She'll be a shopper today then." Noah ordered. She finally started getting nervous.

"A manager has to sign off on i-"

"Then get a manager." Noah interrupted. "She wants to work with her, and we don't want to stand her arguing." A hurried, "I'll get one" was thrown over her shoulder as she retreated to the back. Remerging a minute later, a sharply dressed man following her.

"Hello, I'm Marcus, one of the managers. What can I do for you today?"

"She needs a new wardrobe and would like her to help." Noah motioned to the girl. Marcus glanced over at the girl, who looked like she was starting to get a little nervous with the attention she was getting for a reason she wasn't aware of. Marcus glanced at you next, understanding flashed through his eyes.

"Ah, of course. I'll go inform her of your request and as long as she agrees to it, I'll sign off on it."

"No i-"

"That would be great!" You interrupted Noah. You didn't want to pressure her into having to deal with Noah. Marcus came back a few minutes later, the girl following behind him.

"This is Jackie, she's agreed to help you and I've signed off her helping." His gaze was directed at directly at you. "All commissions will go to her for this sale." Noah's posture changed, considering Jackie's shift, it wasn't good.

"Thank you, that was my next question." Once again Noah relaxed. He had to be overly stressed because that could not be normal.

"I'll leave Jackie with you, let me know if there's anything I can help with." Marcus excused himself. Noah gave the same instructions he gave Caroline and Jackie wrote a few things down in a small notebook.

"Ok, whole new closet?" Jackie looked at you. "You've told me. I'm asking Y/n now." Jackie interrupted Noah when he tried to tell her again. She turned back to you. You nodded. "All styles?" Another nod. "No budget?"

"Budget." Noah immediately started protesting. Jackie waited until they stopped.

"Alright, we can easily get everything you need and any extra you want with 1 Million. So we'll set that as a tentative budget. Budget for you, tentative for the no budget peanut gallery." You were soon whisked away to a small room to get measured. With that out of the way, you were lead to a room full of overpriced clothes and accessories.

Anything you looked at twice or seemed interested in was added to a growing pile of try ons. Once you had ten full outfits, try ons started. Jackie was exactly what you wanted. If it looked good, she made sure you knew it. If it didn't look good, she figured out why. Certain styles were completely removed from the cart, some colors were pulled out too. She didn't try to get you to like the most expensive styles, or the big trends, her focus was solely on what you liked and what looked good on you. Something you were very grateful for.

Four hours of shopping later, and you were lead out to the main room where you had come in. Noah joined you and paid for the large amount of clothing you had liked enough to leave with.

Next you were taken to a shoe store. This time you had a name Jackie had given you. Another sign off and bags left with Noah, you got to work looking for shoes.

An hour and a half and 6 pair of shoes later, you were taken to a makeup store. Another name and sign off, more bags left with Noah and the process started all over again.

Three hours later, Noah paid and you left the outlet and went back to the hotel. Food was dropped off at the room and Noah inhaled his before changing and running out the door for a meeting away from the hotel. A quick "Here's my card, Don't leave the hotel or there will be problems." was thrown over his shoulder before the door was closed.

You started putting your things away, quickly realizing there wasn't enough room for all your new things and Noah's in the small closet in the room. So you made a call to the front desk and a half hour later a clothing rack with a few shelves at the bottom was delivered to your room. Setting it up was easy.

The hard part was deciding if you wanted to risk being petty and moving his things or just putting yours there.

Petty won.

If he was going to force you to get an entire new closet of clothes, you were going to put them in a closet. While moving his suits you snorted to yourself. If circumstances had been different, this shopping spree would have been a dream come true, but now, it just felt like something you would have to worry about repaying later.

Once all of his clothes hanging up were moved, you put his shoes on the bottom shelf. Once you were finished moving his things and adding yours, you moved onto the dresser. Moving his things into two of the six drawers and filled the other four with yours. Next step was rearranging the bathroom to add in the large amount of random makeup things you had gotten.

With nothing else to do, you looked through the list of things the hotel offered and decided to go get a massage. The shopping spree and large total numbers had apparently tired you enough that you didn't really care if Noah was upset.

-----

Noah came back from the meeting to a dark and empty hotel room. Nicolas thankfully kept his head and told Noah to call the front desk to see if they had seen her. That phone call lead him to the spa where he was let into a small room where you were laying face down on a table while a woman worked on the knots in your back.

"He needs to go next. He seems way to tense to be healthy." Noah just stared at you in exasperation, questioning why the hell he was putting himself through all of this for Alec

[phoomwhoosh]

Got tagged by @mysticalsadgirl to do the Music Shuffle Game! Thank you! I always love these!

Rules: shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first 10 songs, then tag 10 friends to do the same.

So, I still use Windows Media Player so I just shuffled the playlist I've been playing the most and this was the result:

1. Good Grief by Bastille

2. I Found by Amber Run

3. Sucker by Marcus King*

4. Start a Riot by BEGINNERS & Night Panda

5. Navigating by twenty one pilots

6. Sinners by Barns Courtney

7. To Ashes and Blood by Woodkid*

8. Come Play by Stray Kids, Young Miko & Tom Morello*

9. HOPE by NF

10. Love Runs Out by OneRepublic

Can you tell that I watched season 2 of Arcane? lmao *3 of the 10 are from that soundtrack.

Tagging: @macchiatosdumptruck @mauvecardigans @wicked-jade @cookietastic @crimsonblackrose @hunkydorkling @puella-peanut @cookietastic and anyone else who wants to do it!