#with Richie’s dad going home to fight in the croatian war of independence in the 90s

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Thinking of a The Bear fanfic where Nat sees that Richie’s parents have booked a table at the restaurant. She calls Carmy over and they discuss what to do, whether to tell him or just cancel it because he hasn't spoken to them since he was in his 20s.

They agree to tell him eventually but work on them as general guests, getting to know them, Carmy decides to ask Marcus to make some kind of special dessert. This is when Syd finds out, because they're trying to source authentic Ukrainian ingredients (going with Ebon's idea that Richie’s ethnically Ukrainian after Ebon's wife).

Richie knows something’s going on. Syd gets angry on the phone and shouts out, "Does anyone understand fucking Ukrainian?" Before realising that Richie’s in the kitchen. Richie sees Marcus and Carmy stressing about a dish but they won't tell him what it is, he puts it down to this new menu every day idea that Carmy’s got.

But when he sees them all in the office, and hears his name, he gets them to tell him. He doesn't react how they think, doesn't shout or blame anyone. He just says "okay" and immediately works out for a cigarette.

Carmy, and Syd, meet him out there as he talks about his childhood. Parents were both immigrants, they had him young, his Dad joined the Army because he thought it was the proper thing for a man to do. They moved around, his mother was kinder than his father but still not very expressive in her way. His father was stern, there was no room for argument.

His dad got injured and they moved to Chicago permanently. Richie met Mickey, they didn’t get along at first, Mickey was so charismatic while Richie tended to blend into the background. But they eventually hit it off after ending up in detention together.

Richie was fascinated by the Berzattos and how loud they were, the highs were high and the lows were low. Donna was the polar opposite of his mother and he was entranced by it all. He spent more time there, attending their Christmas Eve dinners with the excuse that the Jerimovich's didn’t celebrate Christmas until later (being eastern orthodox and all) but he really couldn't stand to be in his own home, which was so much quieter as a result.

His dad tried to get him to join the Army like he did, ending up in a massive argument when Richie’s 18. They don't talk much and eventually lose contact all together. Richie started saying he was Italian at this point because he was closer to the Berzattos than his own family so why couldn't he be?

Richie tells them to carry on with what they were doing, and tells them what dessert to make. He still hides from them on the night, runs Expo so he doesn't have to face them until the surprise dessert.

He brings out the dessert, they meet eyes and his dad nods, barely smiling. Syd invites them in for a tour and Richie gets talking to his dad about how he’s a father now, how he’s divorced, how Mickey died. He says he understands what he meant when he was a kid. He wanted him to have honour and purpose, which the Army would bring. Richie also says he’s glad he didn't join the Army but knows what he meant now.

This is when his dad tells him he's dying and Richie flips a switch. Suddenly he's shouting and he doesn't know why, it doesn't even feel like a conscious decision as he digs into him for not being there, for only trying to find him when it suits him. Because if he can find him now, why couldn't he try when he wasn’t dying, why does he only mean something to him when he's a loose end!

He stops and says to his dad that he should go. His mother's showing everyone baby photos of Richie when they come back in. He escorts them out, when his mother, having heard everything, simply says "We didn't know you worked here" ending by calling him Rooster in Ukrainian (her endearment to him because he was always the loudest in their coup), and leaves, putting their phone numbers in his pocket.