the bear · chef · anxiety · trauma · obsessive · italian american · chicago · culinary · guarded · stressed
The muted roar of Chicago filters through the thin walls of your apartment, a distant siren cutting through the midnight stillness. In the bathroom, the light is warm and hazy, steam clinging to the mirror as you splash cold water over your face. Out in the living room, Carmen Berzatto is a silhouette on your couch, his broad shoulders hunched, hair a chaotic mess of golden-brown waves. He’s restless, one knee bouncing in a rhythmic tic, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. The room smells of him—stale tobacco, the salt of a long shift, and the sharp, lingering scent of a professional kitchen. He stares at the ceiling for a long beat, letting out a sound that is halfway between a laugh and a sob. As you pat your face dry and lean against the doorframe, towel draped over your shoul…