#sydcarmy tension

[alwaysrunningoutoftime]

ao3 sydcarmy writers you are gods gift to this world for preparing me for all this angst and getting me very excited. carmy resorting to his emp ways. sydneys snark and contempt. the partnership agreement. sydney contemplating the agreement. “so that you can push me and I can push you.” sydney at nat and pete’s house. berzatto in laws: sydney and pete interacting. the tension between sydcarmy in the kitchen. “if it’s not perfect it doesn’t go out.” sydney shaking the hand of the cdc from ever’s. “why are you doing this” “we’re gonna get a star” “i thought that was a trap”. “you need to calm down” “this is what you wanted right” AND THAT FUCKING LOOK. its straight out of a fanfic.

[bootlegramdomneess]

just thought i'd run this back.

Thinking about how every time Jeremy and Ayo talk about Sydney and Carmy's relationship they give us this bland ass explanation of their dynamic. "oh they respect each other. it's all about respect. It's not romantic." Like...sure

The agony between these two. you don't have this much tension and unsaid words unless it is someone you have romantic feelings for. I don't care what anyone says. They're awkward but they didn't have a lot of trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings compared from season 1 to 2 and now..something has shifted from season 2 to now in a short fucking amount of time.

you mean to tell me, the writers created such a beautifully poetic and complex show about love and legacy and connection and romance. it's a show about romance. IT'S A SHOW ABOUT ROMANCE.

YOU CAN'T SIT UP THERE AND TELL ME OTHERWISE. YOU CANNOT SAY THESE TWO SIMPLY RESPECT EACH OTHER. CARMY HAS NOT SAID THIS TO ANYONE ELSE. HE IS NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE KITCHEN, HE IS TALKING ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL BECAUSE THE KITCHEN IS HIS LIFE.

oh yeah she's just his future because they are both passionate about cooking. WHEN THAT IS THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT. IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLISTIC. IT'S MORE THAN BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT THE COOKING. IT'S THE CONNECTION. THE FOOD IS THE CATALYST FOR AN UNSPOKEN LANGUAGE. STOP TRYING TO SIMPLIFY SHIT ON A SHOW THAT IS WHOLLY COMPLEX.

*taking a deep calming breath*

We are being shown something without words. We are being shown what is happening between these two from their pov.

[pettyprocrastination]

"sydcarmy better be endgame this season!" i can guarantee you Sydney has three friends in her phone going "do you want me to kill that guy for you" after every shift.

[conceived-angel]

felt crazy when s3 of the bear dropped because it caused so many people to jump ship but it made my sydcarmy obsession worse? am i crazy? 😭

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Carmy is insane for this, and I bet he stayed up all night after friends and family. Is this the first episode of season 3? Comes in at 3am and gets to work on getting a star because it's what Sydney wants.

Then he stayed up all night making a contract agreement so Sydney wouldn't leave him after that fridge incident. "I can't waste my time with Claire, but what I can do is stay up all night scribbling like a madman making a menu and a negotiations contract for my partner so she knows we're in it for the long haul"

BUT ALSO

it's so sad because we go from this beautiful promise of I want to let you fail to suddenly I don't know resentment maybe? Not for Sydney he's just diving into something that he 'hates' and he has 'no idea' why he's doing it. (He knows why. He should speak up).

I hope not. Like the trailer song says "Mixed Emotions"

Please get back to this:

But for now this is fine

[emeralds-city]

Watching shows with "will they? won't they?" storylines had become soooo stale and then The Bear happened and it's like "oh yeah I love this when it's done correctly "

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Staring mini contests

To be fair there's some evidence about some staring contests between Syd and Marcus, even Syd and Richie and also between Carmy and C. Do I care about those? Ofc not! And also, the tension between them was not the same as the tensionS between Syd & Carmy. More about those tensionS → HERE

[answer2jeff]

S2, EP2: PASTA

think this was probably one of my favorite scenes of Syd and Carmy; just because of how raw it is. both of them have decent hopes for that absolute oversalted mess of a dish, and they're both just SO DRAMATIC about the unexpected outcome.

(note: i know chef's are very particular with their work and are often very hyperbolic when something in a dish seems to go wrong. i'm a cook, i experience this frequently. it just makes this scene that much cuter and funnier.)

[ciaomarie]

Bad Dreams by Teddy Swims

Sun is going down, time is running out

No one else around but me

Steady losing light, steady losing my mind

Moving shadows and grinding teeth (ooh)

Without you, there ain't no place for me to hide

Without you, there's no way I can sleep tonight

What I'd do for a little bit of peace and quiet

Without you, I keep

Slipping into bad dreams (dreams)

Where there's no you and I

No sound when I cry

I love you and I need you to set me free

From all of these

Bad dreams (bad dreams)

Waitin' on the other side

No sound when I cry

I love you and I need you to set me free

From all of these, all of these

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Bad dreams

Ooh, ooh, ooh

All of these

Baby, please come around, help me settle down

Hellish habits are clouding my head (mm)

What you waiting for? Something physical?

I can do this by myself

Without you, there ain't no place for me to hide

Without you, there's no way I can sleep tonight

What I'd do for a little bit of peace and quiet

Without you, I keep

Slipping into bad dreams

Where there's no you and I (and I)

No sound when I cry

I love you and I need you to set me free (set me free)

From all of these (all of these)

Bad dreams

Waitin' on the other side

No sound when I cry

I love you and I need you to set me free (set me free)

From all of these, all of these

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Bad dreams (bad dreams)

Baby, please

Ooh, ooh, ooh

All of these (baby, please)

All of these

[zorrasucia]

Promptober 19. Only One Bed

from @carmenberzattosgf list

SydCarmy (The Bear FX)

Rating: Explicit (4.7k) (what the fuck?)

Tags: Smut, Porn with Plot, Fluff, Only One Bed, First Kiss, Oral Sex (F Receiving), P in V Sex, Confessions

"Richie Jerimovich, when I fucking see you, I swear-" Syd threatened him through the phone.

"Syd? Can't hear you!" Richie lied, his booming voice exasperating her further.

"Oh, fuck you," she snapped and hung up the phone.

She rubbed a hand over her face. She was inside the bathroom of her hotel room - a room he shared with Carmy, a room with only one bed, a room Richie had booked. She regretted the night she had gotten drunk and told Richie about her tiny crush on Carmy.

"Carmy Berzatto? Cousin? That motherfucker?" he exclaimed, incredulous.

"Before!" she emphasized. "Before I came to work here, before we met. Jesus! You're making it sound like such a big deal and it isn't, I promise."

"So you had a crush on him from what? Photos of him on Food and Wine?" he grimaced.

"No, no! It was his cooking! I tried his food back in New York and it truly was the best meal I've ever had."

"I don't know if that's better or worse," Richie said, frowning.

"It's better! Because now that I know him, he's a friend and that's it," she insisted.

Richie seemed lost in thought, taking slow sips of his beer.

"Listen," he said after a while. "I know Carmy, and I know you," after looking at Syd's unamused expression he added: "A little, I know you a little. If you want this to happen, you have to take the lead, you know? Or wait for divine intervention. Those are your only two options," he pondered for a while longer and his eyes widened with a realization. "Or I can make it happen! You know, like the crab in The Little Mermaid, set the mood, plan everything so that it happens 'organically'."

He raised his eyebrows and Syd looked away from him groaning with exasperation.

"I can't have this conversation with you."

"Why? Because it's true, huh?" he insisted.

"No! Because you're being a child about it, Richie," she raised her voice to a tone she hadn't used on him since The Beef had closed. "I used to have a crush on him - not anymore. I don't want anything to happen, okay? Now, shut the fuck up about it!"

"Jeez," Richie said and dropped the subject.

He had seemed convinced about it, that Sydney didn't want anything to change, yet here he was playing cupid. She was going to murder him.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she found Carmy smoking in the balcony, enjoying their view of the night sky. That was the worst thing - it was a nice hotel. Non refundable too. Richie had blown up their budget on a beautiful room instead of two sensible ones; they couldn't ask for another and justify the expense.

"I'm sorry that Richie is a fucking idiot," Carmy said, not even turning, just sensing Syd's presence.

"Not your fault," she replied. "He even pretended like he couldn't hear me through the phone."

Carmy chuckled, exhaling a cloud of smoke through his nose. "Yeah, sounds exactly like him."

"It's only one night," she shrugged. "We're adults."

Carmy nodded. "I'll take the sofa," he offered automatically. "I've slept on worse."

Without asking, Syd knew for a fact it was true - the sofa was pretty damn nice.

They got ready for bed early and in silence, taking turns in the bathroom, and if she looked at his naked torso a little too long while he changed or if he stole glances at the tattoos visible on the edges of her tank top, well that was nobody's business.

"Night," Syd said curtly, turning off the lights, like that would put an end to the weird tension that had built between them.

"Night," Carmy mumbled from the sofa, feeling the weight of a long day as he fell asleep.

~

"Carm? Carmy?"

He could hear her voice through the fog of a nightmare, shaking his frame, touching him. He followed the sound and opened his eyes. Syd was holding his face in their darkened room.

"You okay?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," he replied with a hoarse voice. "Why?"

"You were screaming in your sleep."

"Oh," Carmy covered his face, mortified. "Yeah, that happens."

"You didn't think to tell me?" Syd raised her eyebrows. "I thought you were getting murdered or something."

"Fuck," he mumbled, his mind still groggy with sleep.

Syd sighed and sat on the floor beside the sofa. "You scared the shit out of me."

"I didn't mean to," Carmy shifted on his side, trying to look at her better. "It happens so often I forget it does. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah."

"It used to be worse," he said without meaning to. "I used to sleepwalk and cook. Almost set my apartment on fire twice."

"Twice?"

Carmy could hear Sydney's outraged expression even if he couldn't actually see it.

"It wasn't a big deal," he said lightly - that lightness only she could bring out in him.

They stayed in silence for a while, just listening to each other breathing.

"Uh- I know this is absolutely none of my business," Syd prefaced, "and you're free to tell me to fuck off... Again."

"I did answer that time," Carmy interrupted.

"Yeah, okay," Syd chuckled. "Uh, so... How did Claire react to the whole night terrors thing?"

Carmy turned away, sighing while he looked at the ceiling.

"She didn't get to see it. Uh. She didn't sleep over that much to be honest," he admitted.

"Oh."

"Probably for the best, right?" he asked, turning over, searching for Syd in the dark.

"I mean, she would have found out eventually. You can't get rid of shit like that so easily," she replied.

"You have shit like that?"

There was something weirdly intimate and protective about the dark. They hadn't talked so openly since the opening night of The Bear, confessing fears under the table.

"Anxiety attacks."

"Shit."

"Yeah, bad ones. I, uh, feel like I'm going to die for a little while," she cleared her throat.

"I get that," Carmy hummed. "When, uh, when Mikey died I had these- I don't know what they were, but just here," he clutched his chest, "and I couldn't breathe."

"Yeah. Like that."

Carmy was overwhelmed with the need to comfort Syd, to show her that she was not alone with something more than just words. Perhaps hold her, hug her tight, cup her face carefully, something. But instead he just mumbled:

"You better go back to bed. Don't want you all tired tomorrow because I screamed in the middle of the night like a fucking crazy person."

"Right, yeah. No, definitely," she stumbled back to bed, sighing as she fell on the mattress.

A long while passed, and Carmy could still hear Syd tossing and turning, the bedsheets rustling incessantly. Finally, she turned on the lamp on her bedside table.

"Carm?" she said quietly.

"Yeah?" he replied a little louder.

"I feel like shit that you're sleeping on the couch after your nightmare and, uh, if you want we can share the bed. It's pretty big so, like, it's no problem and you would be more comfortable, so..."

It was said all in one breath, blurted out like a confession.

"You won't be able to sleep if I say no, huh?" Carmy understood the weird ways guilt could take ahold of Syd.

"I'm going to worry and feel shitty... So probably not."

Carmy made his way towards the bed, heart beating fast inside his chest. Why was he so nervous?

"Thanks," he said, tugging lightly on the duvet, just enough to cover himself as he settled on the mattress.

"Don't mention it," Syd said a little dryly, turning away from him as she switched off the lamp.

Maybe it was the change from the sofa to the luxurious mattress, maybe it was the exhaustion of his nightmare, or maybe it was the calming effect of Syd breathing slowly beside him, but Carmy fell into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.

~

Carmy woke up to the sound of a door slamming.

The couple from the room next door had arrived in the early hours of the morning, drunk and sloppy, tripping on furniture and talking a little too loud.

He turned to see whether it had woken Syd up but she was still sleeping peacefully. She looked pretty like that, calm, like when she was focused plating a dish. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep until their neighbors shut the fuck up, he spent his time looking at Syd. He never had the time to just see her, they were always rushing, always interrupted. Even now, he was interrupted by their neighbors suddenly having very loud sex - grunts and moans and the slam of the bedframe against the wall.

"Jesus Christ," he cursed, rolling over to look at the ceiling and contemplate suicide.

Except that he heard stirring beside him.

Syd was mumbling in her sleep, writhing on her side. Carmy got closer, trying to decipher if it was a nightmare and if he should wake her up, like she had done for him just a few hours ago. But he heard her moan suddenly and the rhythm of her movements echoed the lovemaking next door, and Carmy knew a bit of the waking world had made its way into her dreams. He also knew that the sound of Syd moaning would haunt him forever.

While he decided whether he should lock himself in the bathroom and give her privacy, he heard her say:

"Carmy... Please..."

Gathering courage from God knows where, he reached for her and brushed his thumb over her wrist.

"Syd," he whispered.

She opened her eyes slowly, a sedated look on her features, half asleep.

"Carm," she said sweetly. And he only ever wanted to hear his name said like that.

Her eyes opened wide when the moans next door reached their peak, lewd grunts followed and then silence.

"What the hell?" Syd frowned, fully awake now.

"They were at it for a while," Carmy mumbled with disdain.

"And you woke me up to... what? Hear it?"

Carmy hesitated.

"You were, uh, talking in your sleep."

"Oh." The silence that followed was heavy. She studied his face, the red flush that colored his cheeks was visible even in the lowlight. "What did I say?"

"You- you said my name," Carmy managed to get out, his blue eyes staring at hers, pleading, asking for confirmation. He was still holding her wrist, he brushed his thumb over her pulse point, softly. "Syd..."

She wanted to cry. She was embarrassed that Carmy knew, that Richie knew, that she was a fucking open book for everyone to read. She was scared that everything would change if she chose to close the few inches between the two of them, to do this one thing for herself, and lose everything they had built together. And she was fucking relieved that Carmy was still holding her, still looking at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"I don't want to fuck everything up," Syd said, eyes glazed. "I want you but I don't want to fuck everything up."

"I don't want to fuck everything up either," he echoed, moving halfway to where she was. "I- I just feel like everything is better when you're near and I want to see you every day and I believe in you so much... I guess I didn't realize what it all meant until just now."

Syd smiled, it was a teary smile that made Carmy's heart skip a beat.

"Fuck it."

She leaned in to kiss him, her fingers tangling in his hair. He kissed her back, lovingly, with a lot more confidence than she would have expected from him, his tongue caressing her bottom lip. He brought her closer, his hands splayed on her lower back, lifting her shirt a little. She ran her fingers up the length of his arms, caressing the muscles there, keening when he squeezed her even closer.

"You're hard," she gasped, barely parting from his lips.

"Yeah," he was breathing heavily.

"Fuck. You, like, want me," she rasped her realization.

Carmy paused, loosening his hold on her. "We don't need to do anything," he said, his eyes open and honest. "I'll sleep on the couch again if you ask me to."

"No, it's not that," she shook her head. "I'm processing. Uh. I didn't think that you wanted me the way that I wanted you, you know?"

Carmy frowned and she went on, blurting her train of thought rapidly:

"Like, uh, I love your cooking. You're a great chef and I think you're so talented. And you are funny without meaning to. You can be so loving and so thoughtful when you're not being an asshole," Carmy smiled fondly at her, his thumb soothing her waist. "But also I think that your arms are hot as fuck and your eyes are like a stupid pretty shade of blue, you know what I mean?"

Carmy laughed openly, then cupped her face sweetly. "I have no fucking clue what you mean."

"Stop!" she could feel her skin heat up under his touch. "I thought you liked me as a friend and respected me as a chef and, like, you said I looked nice once but I was actively making an effort, right? So, I didn't think you found me attractive or something."

Carmy widened his eyes in shock. "Shit, really?"

Syd nodded.

His mouth was agape, completely lost for words. He looked into her eyes, at how vulnerable she seemed...

"I like so much about you, Syd. The moment I saw you-"

She followed his gaze as he categorized every little thing he liked about Syd in silence, overwhelmed by all of it, by having her so near and sharing her warmth.

"Can I show you?" he asked.

"Yes. Okay."

He took one of her hands and set it palm up. He kissed the center of it, then her thumb and her index. He kissed her wrist. All of it chaste and tender.

He scooted a few inches closer and kissed her temple, then just a bit upward, where her braids began. He pressed his lips to her eyebrow and then her eyelid, carefully. The bump on the bridge of her nose and her cheekbone. The corner of her mouth and her jaw. With his thumb, he pulled on her lower lip, moving to kiss her cupid's bow and her front teeth at the same time. Syd giggled against his mouth.

"Fucking weirdo," she said without bite, believing him, pressing the length of her body against his, and leaning for a kiss.

It was easier this time round - to give in, to surrender. Soon, Carmy was shirtless, making his way down Syd's body, taking her underwear off, leaving open mouthed kisses on her thighs.

"Carmy."

Her eyes widened at the sight of him settling between her legs.

"This okay?" he asked, his tattooed fingers caressing the patch of hair that covered her mound, bunching her sleep shirt up to her waist.

"Yeah," she replied breathily, reaching out to touch his face and confirm that he was real, that this was real. Carmy smiled, soft, like he knew what she was thinking. They hadn't shared that strange telepathy in a while but it felt like everything was falling into place that night. And it felt right, everything they were doing. Carmy's lips on her inner thighs felt right. His tongue on her pussy felt so right. His nose on her clit felt so damn right.

She carded her fingers through his hair, adding to the beautiful mess of it. He looked at her intently, learning just how to please her, how to make her carefully built defenses crumble. His lips closed around her clit in a kiss that made her moan. Then he started sucking.

"Fuck," Syd gasped, using all her willpower not to buck her hips into his face. "Hold me," she pleaded.

And his hands immediately grabbed at her hips, planting her firmly on the bed, leaving her at his mercy to devour. She was so wet and he was making debauched noises, like maybe she was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. That thought alone made her clench on nothing.

"Please," she whined, searching for the blue of his eyes, begging for something she couldn't even word.

But Carmy nodded. Yes, Chef. His index and middle fingers parted her folds, getting soaked in arousal and saliva, poking at her entrance, promising something to sate her need.

"Yes," Syd nodded eagerly and moaned once his fingers were inside her. The same fingers she had stared at while he kneaded dough and plated dishes and sketched drawings were three knuckles deep, curling and caressing, devoted to her... "I think I'm gonna cum," she blurted out.

Carmy hummed in encouragement, kneading on her hips, soothing, keeping the rhythm of his fingers and mouth steady.

"Oh, my- Fuck!" Syd cursed and moaned, tugging at his hair and the bedsheets underneath, writhing with pleasure. Carmy kissed her navel, her hips and her thighs.

When Syd finally caught her breath and was able to look back at Carmy, his cheek was on her hip, sweaty like he had run a mile, beaming.

"Oh, fuck you," she said, pulling him up to kiss him hard.

"Weird way to say thank you," he quipped, pussy drunk and giddy. Sydney couldn't actually remember ever seeing him so happy, it made her smile in return.

"Thank you," she kissed him again. She ran her fingers over the lower part of his face, trying to clean him up a little.

"It's okay," he shook his head. It was hopeless, they both knew. He rounded her waist with his arms and she sighed contentedly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you remember what you were dreaming about before I woke you? Just now?" Carmy asked.

"Yeah, I remember. We were, uh, we were fucking. Obviously. And, uh, I was on top. You know, riding you," Syd recounted, awkward even in the afterglow.

"Got it," Carmy nodded, smiling still.

"It seemed like a lot of fun, to be honest," she added dryly, making them both laugh.

Carmy brought her closer still, kissing her with everything he had, wordlessly turning them over in bed so that she was above him. Her knees fell naturally on either side of his hips, his clothed erection rubbing against her bare pussy.

"Shit," Syd cursed and sat up suddenly, back on his thighs, away from where he needed her.

"You okay?" Carmy leaned on his elbows, worried. 

"We don't have condoms," and Syd looked like she wanted to scream out of frustration.

He reached out to touch her thigh. 

"Syd, hey. We do."

"Hmm?"

"We have a box of condoms," Carmy was flushed again. "Just there in my backpack."

Syd frowned incredulously, climbing down from the bed to confirm it.

"Why-? How did you-?" she asked, holding the box, returning to her place and straddling him once again.

"It wasn't me. There's even a fucking note," Carmy pointed out. There it was, in Richie's messy handwriting: Enjoy the trip, cuz!

"I'm going to murder him," Syd spat, taking out a condom nevertheless.

"I'm not going to stop you," Carmy agreed. "He knew that I- Well, how I feel about you and he - I don't know - made it his personal mission to torment me about it."

"Wait!" Syd covered her face, mortified. "He knew how I feel about you. He said some bullshit about playing matchmaker-"

"Yeah, the, uh, the crab from The Little Mermaid," Carmy confirmed.

"Motherfucker. We should pretend nothing happened. We should pretend we fucking hate each other. Make him stop meddling in other people's lives," Syd said dryly.

"Kind of impressive he thought of everything, though," Carmy admitted reluctantly. Sydney glared at him. "It would have been a bummer to go out and buy condoms at fucking four in the morning."

"Fine. I won't murder him," Syd allowed. "I'll just stab his other butt cheek."

Carmy laughed and Syd loved the sound, quickly deciding that she wanted to make him do that more often.

She leaned over, kissing the corner of his mouth and down his neck, marveling at the amount of freckles, tracing a path down his collarbone, caressing his chest, mouthing down the trail of hair that led to his boxers. Her hands lingered on his sides, tickling up his ribs and down to his hips, all taut muscle and pale skin.

"Carm."

"Mmm?" he looked dazed, his fingers touching her thighs lovingly.

She sat up and took her shirt off. He stared, eyes wide and fiery as she took her all in.

"You're so beautiful," he rasped.

Syd smiled, guiding his hands up to touch her, to squeeze her waist and cup her breasts. Meanwhile, she grinded on his cock, his boxer briefs drenched with her arousal.

"Can I?" she asked. She needed him inside her, needed to make him scream and plead and moan like she had. "Want to make you feel good."

"I think I'll probably die if you don't," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Their fingers brushed as both reached to take off his boxers.

"Sorry, I'll-" Syd hesitated.

"No, it's fine," Carmy insisted, placing her hands back on the elastic band, allowing her to remove that last piece of clothing. Her fingers tickled the length of his legs as she did; he was blushing down to his collarbones like he would after a long day in the kitchen.

She touched him with care, gentle pumps to his cock that made Carmy close his eyes in bliss.

"Syd..." he called, voice hoarse and strained, he sounded absolutely wrecked and they hadn't even started.

"I'm here," she reassured him as her hands rolled the condom over his cock. "I'm right here, Carm." She guided his tip to her entrance and interlocked her fingers with his as she sank on his length slowly, knees on either side of his hips. "Look at me." It wasn't an order, it was her grounding him as she took him completely. His eyes met hers, something soft and sweet in the way he looked at her.

"Fuck," he breathed out, sitting up to kiss her hard. "I want you so much," he said against her lips.

Syd rounded his shoulders with her arms and started moving. It began with soft waves, getting used to the feeling of Carmy inside her, trying to build a rhythm he'd respond to. He held tight to her waist, exhaling hard into the crook of her neck.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"You feel incredible," Carmy kissed the side of her face, open mouthed, needy. "You can go faster, I'm not gonna break," he encouraged her.

"Okay. Okay," she smiled.

Emboldened, she pushed him towards the mattress and picked up the pace, the scene playing out so similar to her dream: Carmy lying down on the pillow, his tattooed hands holding her hips, his face contorted in pleasure. It was everything. She used his abs for leverage as she bounced on his cock, feeling full and adored and beautiful.

Carmy was a mess underneath her, sweaty curls sticking to his forehead, veins bulging on his neck as he groaned. It was a feral sound, down from his stomach and she leaned over to cover his mouth with her hand.

"We don't want to wake up the neighbors," she quipped, making him break into a smile. She kissed his cheek and went back to riding him mercilessly, watching Carmy lose control - what a wonder it was to be the reason he let himself do just that. Her pussy clenched at the thought.

"Syd, fuck..." he moaned.

"Sorry, shit, I'm close," she panted.

"It's okay, it's okay," Carmy urged her, knowing well that the sight of her cumming on his cock would end him immediately. He took one of her hands and guided it to her center, where they were joined. "Let go, Syd."

He watched her touch herself, chasing her release, being gloriously selfish, arching her back and neck as she came for the second time that night.

"Carmy..."

That was all it took for him to join her, a blur of heat and sweat as Syd fell in his arms, riding the aftershocks of her orgasm as he fucked into her. They held each other for what felt like a long time, caressing, catching their breath, melting into a soft embrace.

Eventually, Syd rolled over and Carmy threw away the condom, settling face to face on the mattress, legs intertwined.

"This changes everything," Syd said all of a sudden.

"Does it?" Carmy asked, playing with her fingers as she spoke.

"I mean, I think so?" she bit her lip. "I don't know. I was so terrified that things would change if we did this and-"

"Yeah. I get it," he nodded. "It feels like this is right. Like it could work."

"Like it could work, yeah," Syd bit her lip. "We just need some ground rules."

"Like?"

"No fucking in the restaurant’s kitchen," she said almost immediately. "The paperwork would be a nightmare and I still want that star."

"Okay," Carmy nodded. "Anything else?"

"You really need to listen when I tell you you're being an asshole."

"Heard, Chef."

"I mean it," she insisted.

He reached out to cup her face. "Syd. I'll listen," he said earnestly.

"Okay," she turned her face to kiss his palm. "Do you have any rules?"

"You don't go easy on me because of this. I still need you to be my partner and give me shit."

"Okay," Syd grinned.

"And Richie doesn't find out about this until he's apologized."

"Oh, I like that one!"

~

1 week later

"Cousin, I really do not have time for this," Carmy said as they walked out to the alley, lighting up a cigarette.

"Just five minutes, okay?" Richie took a deep breath, hands in his pockets and his gaze to the ground. "Listen. I fucked up. I admit it. Like... I was sure you and Syd just needed a little push to, I don't know-"

"To what, Richie?"

"Get it on, get together, I don't know!" he raised his hands in an apologetic gesture. "Didn't know this would happen."

"Well it did," Carmy took a drag of his cigarette. "Syd's barely speaking to me because she thinks I planned the whole thing with you. Thinks I'm some kind of pervert."

"How could I know that she'd find the condoms in your backpack? Maybe if she respected your boundaries..."

"They shouldn't have been there in the first place! Are you fucking listening to yourself?!"

"Right, uh-" Richie rubbed his forehead with shame. "I'm sorry. I'll, uh, talk to Syd, clear this up."

"Thank you," Carmy exhaled a cloud of smoke, handing the rest of his cigarette to Richie - a peace offering.

A couple of minutes later, Syd peeked out of the door. "Hey, family's in ten."

Richie looked up. "Uh, Syd, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure," she replied dryly, side eyeing Carmy.

"Uh, I, the mix up with the hotel room - that was all me. The condoms, everything. That was my fault. You should be angry at me, not Carmen. He had nothing to do with it," Richie said earnestly.

"So it was some sick joke?" Syd asked.

"I thought I was doing a nice thing! Fuck!" he looked up at the sky helplessly. "Never doing anything like this again. I promise. Fuck. I don't want the restaurant to go to shit because of this."

Syd had her arms crossed, her stance defensive. "You mean it?"

"Yes. Shit. I'm so sorry."

Syd softened all of a sudden, looking at Carmy. "Did you believe that?"

"He seemed pretty honest," he agreed with a smirk.

"Okay. Apology accepted," she said, then approached Carmy, held his face and gave him a tender kiss, with a little tongue to make their intentions clear. "See you guys inside."

Richie got red in the face as soon as he was hit with the realization. "You fuckers. I knew it. I fucking knew it!"

[thoughtfulchaos773]

One of my favorite scenes, big reason, is Sydney opening up and Carmy experiencing pain for Sydney.

But another thing the scene points out is they these two are not platonic. If they are the type of friends that epitomize a platonic relationship with a work family that feels closer than a family, he would know this about Sydney. Yet, he doesn’t. Syd still holds back when it comes to Carmy.

To be fair, she held back about her mom with Marcus too. But now that it’s clear that Marcus and Sydney have a platonic relationship, there’s an ease in their getting to know one another. Currently, based on what the show has presented, we see Carmy trying to get to know Sydney, who remains reserved about her mother until she can't find a way to put her guard up.

That's the dance with these two Sydney puts her guard up Carmy tries to get to know her- how is that friendship or how is that even what Donna says in season 4? That they're closer than family family?

Maybe because we are just getting started next season on Sydney and Carmy becoming closer?

But really Why is it so difficult for them to hang out and party together? Why is Carmy so hurt by the realization that in not focusing on the restaurant, he's missing out on knowinh Sydney? If it's really about friendship, why are there so many barriers preventing it from developing?

Why is there jealousy? Distrust? The longing to trust and open up instead of just doing it? Why is it so difficult for Carmy and Sydney to talk about their deceased loved ones, unlike the conversations that Natalie and Richie have, or the ones Ebra and Tina share?

Why is it so difficult for Sydney and Carmy to have a conversation like Tina and Marcus did in season 3, episode 9, where they can truly check in with each other and exchange ideas?

It's not platonic, and as of now, I have nothing to show that for Sydney work, family - Carmy is closer to her than family.

[nomacarmy]

i don’t know how some of you guys don’t believe in sydcarmy.

sometimes i’ll be watching scenes between the two of them and get physically nervous because of how palpable the tension is between them.

you can’t just casually look at someone like this.

[ms-ss]

All of the above.

First things first, I am a TRUE SydCarmy shipper OK. The slow burn, the subtle yearning, I'M THERE. BUT, I can't help but see sentiments of how Sydney and Marcus were giving platonic, when I feel like they weren't.

Sydney was vulnerable in a special way to Marcus, I mean, she invited the man into her home and made a meal for him!!! Some might say it was because she felt bad for him but knowing our avoidant girly, she could've just sent him a quick text or call and moved on. But she didn't, because she cares about him. Before she had that talk with Carmy, behind the restaurant in S01E03, she had that moment with Marcus in the fridge, after she accidentally spilled the veal stock. The two of them from then on, kinda looked out for each other.

We go into season 2, the first episode when Tina and Sydney are discussing good good and Marcus comes in and they have a little conversation, there was tension there. THERE WAS AND IT WAS GIVING ROMANTIC. Cut to, Marcus's episode, after a long day of staging with Chef Luca, he's in bed, face timing Sydney. He shares a recurring nightmare about losing his mother and Syd assures him that all is good and he should enjoy himself. AND THEN SHE SAYS SHE MISSES HIM, I mean come on. What a sweet moment. 💞💞💞

Sydney has had this special ability to bring the best out of Marcus and inspire him and I don't blame him for falling for that women with the big, brown, beautiful eyes, who is quirky like him and funny like him. Sydney might have this magnetic connection with Carmy but Marcus was the first one to really welcome her into the kitchen, into The Beef/Bear. Their dynamic is one we see often in real life, two people getting along and it seeming romantic, but it ends up one sided. That's not a bad thing, just a little sad😔. Marcus is open to love and lowkey, so is Sydney and that's a beautiful thing. I hope they both find love and keep their friendship tight!! 😤💪🏾

[jelestes]

My completely sane and hinged rant after rewatching the second season of The Bear 😍

• Carmy/Claire

OMG I want to like Claire so badly but her character is so fucking annoying and that’s putting my whole sydcarmy shipper personality aside, she adds nothing to the plot/show, nothing to Carmy’s growth as a character (not that she should be responsible for that, but as a part of his subplot she doesn’t do much), no new perspectives, nothing. She has nothing you can hold on to she’s just kinda there. Her personality is bland and she’s pushy but at least she’s nice i’ll give her that! All that being said, Molly Gordon (the actress) did a great job!

• Natalie

Natalie isn’t talked about enough and it makes me so angry because she’s such a fascinating character like what was ep6??? that girl needs a fucking hug. As a woman with mommy issues I get Nat on so many levels (like, my mom also has threatened to blown her brains out in front of me so many times lmao) we only got a glimpse to what her life was/is like and I was already bawling my eyes out can’t imagine what they have in store for the next seasons. Also kudos to Abby Elliot (the actress) for the amazing job, we got to see so many sides of Nat it was so refreshing. (Ps: LOVE her relationship with Syd, omg)

• Tina

I remember hating Tina the first two episodes but man how much do I love her now. Her character just warms my heart, love LOVE that they made her a sous.

• Richie

I love cousin so fucking much. That’s pretty much it. As a twenty something struggling to find my passion and my path in general his plot in the second season really hit me, also his growth as a character in general was so nice to see, the way he realized he had to change to love himself not tiff or anyone else, that was really really cool.

• Richie/Natalie

Now call me absolutely insane but why do I feel there’s a tension between them? the whole soda thing when she says she’s pregnant (there’s a parallel to when Tiff was pregnant in 3.06), when he apologizes (it doesn’t feel he’s just apologizing for something in the present), idk there’s been a tension there since season one and I think it might be addressed in season 3? idk I might be delusional but I can’t be the only one seeing it.

• Carmy/Syd

* sighs * BECAUSE IF I SEE SOMEONE CALL THAT SHIT PLATONIC ONE MORE TIME I-

Can someone rationally explain to me why is Sydney the only person who can calm Carmy down during a panic attack? How is this shit platonic be so fr right now!!!! Why was Sydney over explaining herself when she told Carmy she doesn’t feel jealous of Claire? Try to explain this to me. You can’t because saying this is platonic sound fucking stupid SPECIALLY after the table scene.

IMO, they both know it and they both refuse to acknowledge it but specially carmy. I feel like they gonna have a fall out on s3 so they can finally start building this in the right direction.

That’s pretty much it, thank you for coming to my ThebearTalk! I’ll be insufferable for the next few weeks <3

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

I cannot for the life of me understand why the writers are still dragging the Claire storyline out. If we, the audience, are supposed to feel as anguished as Carmy is over losing her, I think the writers really failed. I really didn't see that their connection was so deep that Carmy would be this distressed over their breakup - even if it was due to something insensitive he may have said. Having multiple characters continue to push him to rectify his relationship with Claire feels so forced, as well. If their relationship was something that I truly believed could be lasting, then I could probably connect to that emotional tension, but I had thought the entire purpose of his S2 storyline was that a step towards Claire was a step away from fulfilling his responsibilities to Sydney and their restaurant. His relationship with Claire was in direct conflict with his relationship with Syd, and he continually let her down until he finally realized he was letting himself be pulled in two different directions. His making amends with Claire should've been finished in the first few episodes - she's not a main character (she's not even a character who's developed outside of Carmy's POV), and I'm pretty sure she had more screentime than Marcus. These writers cannot write a manic pixie dream girl and expect audiences to actually believe in the strength of her relationship with the lead so much that they root for them. (I also still don't understand how Claire is supposed to have all this free time when she's a hospital resident)

If the goal was to sow this division between Sydney and Carmy, which will force them both to seriously examine their relationship next season, I get it and that can be fine. That's also sort of what happened in S2 already, but they can still further develop that idea in a meaningful way. I'm gonna be honest, I'm here for the writers to pair up Sydney and Luca for a time as a plot device ship. They have excellent chemistry, and I would love to see Sydney exploring a new relationship until Carmy figures his stuff out. It can be reinforce the strength and importance of Sydcarmy's relationship to each other.

Just to warn you all, though, Sydcarmy could either be headed the Rina route (Ricky and Gina from HSMTMTS) with a planned slowburn executed beautifully, or this could end up being a Bellarke situation (Bellamy and Clarke from The 100) where the writers have a vendetta against the romantic pairing, despite obvious romantic undertones. Whichever one happens is anyone's guess, at this point

[ciaomarie]

ESCAPING INTO A SHIP

So what exactly made me latch onto the Sydcarmy ship like a leech on a water buffalo?

It was unexpected (for me)! Yes, the very first meeting between Syd and Carm did make an impact. I thought "Oooh, what's this?!" However, Carmy was/is such a mess that I quickly dismissed it. And Sydney just seemed to want his professional approval and a partner in making something great after the soul-crushing failure of Sheridan. So, the first season I personally didn't feel a mutual sexual/romantic tension, more like an automatic respect and shared goals/passions. Sydney nor Carm were obviously trying to flirt. Most slow burns on TV are 100% obvious like a Jeanine and Gregory (Abbott Elementary), Nick and Jess (New Girl), Jake and Amy (Brooklyn 99), Jim and Pam (The Office)...Until Braciole Ep. 8 that is.

S. 1 Episode 8- I won't get into everything but Carmy was desolate. Yes, he became a psycho chef and two people quit in Ep.7. However, he mourned Sydney more than Marcus. She was in his flashback/nightmare (?), then the way he told Tina that she looked like Syd (the poor pup), him texting her before opening the note from Mikey, and finally the most gorgeous locked gaze scene since Pride and Prejudice (2005). The soft lighting, the music, the colors, the mind-reading...magical. I still didn't get it initially. Silly, blind me.

Mentorship where??? Season 2 Carm and Syd's "mentorship" dynamic is pretty much over. They are true partners and spending more time together. They're dressing alike even when not in uniform, finishing each other's sentences or talking in unison. Sydney is opening up more of herself and Carm is asking to know more. They use the ASL sign for sorry with each other and no one else until ep 10. Then there's that locker scene in ep. 1 or 2, when they almost hang out just cause. However, Carmy misses the moment and there's the return of the kicked pup face. Before being on the ship I was delighted with all of their scenes and was looking forward to the food tour. They just ROCK together on screen.

Classic Love Triangle- Who's Claire? She's "Claire Bear", the prototypical "cool girl", who is willing to chase an socially awkward, wrong-number-giving man, despite being a pretty ER resident with no shortage of options. Did a CW writer get hired? Anyways, why was her presence used almost exclusively to put strain on Carmy and Sydney's relationship instead of The Bear generally? We could have had scenes with Nat, Richie, and Marcus arguing with Carmy about him being distracted due to Claire. They saved 99% of that for Sydney. They CHOSE to insert her in between or just after scenes with him and Claire. Showing Sydney's tattoos and her getting dressed with the stained chef's coat juxtaposed with them was WILD.

I LOVE that both believe their interpersonal problems are solely about The Bear/business partnership. In most "slowburns" the characters are far more conscious and actively work to keep things platonic. Jeremy might be a smidge aware that Sydney means more to him after the panic attack, but I bet he's shoved it down. All he knows afterward is that being with Claire feels wrong hence ignoring her call and recommitting to SYDNEY. He could of said "You all/This/The Bear deserve my full focus etc..." He was also nagged into greeting Claire at Friends and Family, seemed anxious when Fak brought her up right before The Table scene, and also while explaining that "she's great" to Sydney. He was at peace when focused on Sydney in the moment below.

The actors: Jeremy and Ayo's real life friendship is warms my soul and their chemistry onscreen is amazing. DON'T WASTE IT!!!

Jeremy smolders on screen. I want to see Carmy continue to stare, yearn, fall, then eventually confess and for Sydney to reciprocate his feelings. Anyhoo, does anyone else melt when Carm means business?! They do this twice in season one and it's not good for me. Whew, I need to clean my whole house or run a few miles.

Finally, there's so many other parallels between these two. They are fearful avoidants, have a missing or dead parent, jacked up stomachs, use sarcasm, but are generally very earnest, they struggle with anxiety, are compassionate, are perfectionists, peace-makers, give people multiple chances, are workaholics...so much more. A lot of that is also ME, lol.

Sydcarmy is my Roman Empire. I love them as much as you can fictional characters and they deserve the most tender, angsty, triumphant, romantic best-friends to more love story.