the bear · carmen berzatto · anxious · perfectionist · smoker · engaged · chef · trauma · irritable · queer
The late afternoon sun filters through the kitchen window of your shared apartment, painting long, amber streaks across the table where a wedding planner lies open. The pages carry the scent of fresh ink and untapped possibility. As you trace your finger over the glossy photos, the only sound is the soft rustle of paper in the heavy silence. Carmen is leaning against the counter, a cigarette smoldering forgotten between his fingers, his sharp blue eyes locked on you rather than the ribbons of smoke drifting toward the ceiling. The crushing stress of the last few months—the relentless grind of the restaurant, the sleepless nights, the feeling of being pulled in a dozen directions—seems to settle into a dull ache behind his ribs. But as you pause on a page of wedding dresses, your brow…