Strange Currencies Ep.2 | Carmy Berzatto X Fem!reader

strange currencies ep.2 | carmy berzatto x fem!reader

|| summary ; you're back in chicago after what feels like eons, you drop in to visit sydney, who you met when you both went to cia, it was apparently not a good time judging by how her partner was acting so you make plans to meet later for dinner. (meanwhile, carmy remembers how he knows you.) || warnings ; swearing, the bear s2 casual references, switch to sydney & carmys pov, not really proofread. || ep.1 here if you missed it, the plot premise here if you missed that || word count ; 1,506

You shoved your phone back into your jacket pocket after checking the address one last time, standing across the street from what looked to be a very closed business. Though, Syd had told you they were doing a remodel or something, so it made sense the windows and all would be papered up. You couldn't help but think maybe you should've checked in with your old friend before dropping by, but you hadn't known you were gonna be nearby until literally right before.

"Fuck it," You murmured under your breath, checking the street both ways before hurrying across, hesitating a moment when you reach the door, you were already here. It didn't make sense to back out now, and if she wasn't here then she wasn't here and then you would call her up.

The door's not locked so you tug it open fully and step inside, greeted almost immediately by the sound of some guys arguing and cussing at each other, though you didn't get a glimpse of the scene right away, or at all really. Because before you can get too far into the half wrecked restaurant you look up to see -

“Birdie?” That's not your real name, but it was the only one you gave to the people you met, at least since you were in High School. It was a nickname given to you by your family, and a much better alternative to some other nicknames you'd been given in your younger years. Confusion and surprise seems to conflict Sydney's expression briefly before shifting into something almost apologetic.

"Syd!" You lift your hand in a vague greeting, "Hi, sorry, I guess this is a bad time?” You rock back on your heels, half smiling half cringing because now everyone's attention is on you, which you normally don't mind. But this felt a little tense and awkward.

“No, well, yeah, but it’s - it’s fine. Um, what are you doing here? and why aren’t you in New York?” Your friend closes the distance between you, wrapping you in a brief but welcome embrace, then doing her best to turn you away from the shitshow you had walked into.

"I was just, sort of, in the neighborhood?" You wrinkle your nose, chuckling lightly, "Sort of, anyways. It's kind of a long story, but, I'm back in Chicago for the foreseeable future." Your smile grows a little, nodding as you try to casually slide your focus to who you assume to be her coworkers, wondering which one was the asshole partner she'd mentioned to you before.

It doesn't take you long to guess, one of the guys was zeroed in on you both - on Syd - and it was almost unnerving. How can someone be so fucking intense? Maybe it was the way his brows were still furrowed or how the blue in his eyes stood out like a beacon. Either way, you find yourself throwing a knowing look at Sydney. 'Partner? hmph' you'd stick a pin in that thought to ask what was up with him later.

You weren't the only one who'd noticed, and just as quick as your friend had caught on to his gaze he was shifting his focus back to the others. Syd mirrored your expression back at you with a lifted brow, 'Is that him?' You mouthed at her, you could've laughed but before you did she was herding you back towards the door. "Okay, so, it was great seeing you, sorry it's not great right this second, but tonight? Yes, tonight, I'm free if you're free, we should grab dinner. Sound good? Great. I'll text you." You don't get a real word in edgewise aside from agreeing to these plans and once you're back onto the sidewalk you do laugh because what the hell was that about? Another thing you'd both definitely need to talk about, you decided, as you made your way to the L.

---------------------

When the door was closed Sydney turned and pressed her back against it, taking a slow breath as she mentally prepared to walk back into whatever Richie and Fak might be fighting about now. And to take a minute to process the fact it had been years since she'd last seen Birdie and how that had been one of the last people she expected to show up here unannounced. She pulled out her phone then, pulling up her contacts and finding her friends number to shoot her a text 'Hey B just making sure you still had my number, I'll let you know when I'm done here for the day.' The phone buzzed back almost immediately, 'Yep, got it! :) cya tonight.' Syd liked the response before tucking her phone back into her pocket and making her way back to the counter to grab her notebook, the moment she walked through to the other room Carmy was there. "Yo, Syd, um, who was-" He backtracked, running a hand through his curls, "-what was that about?" Keeping pace a half step behind her as he followed her. Carmy seemed off and she couldn't help but wonder, as she cast a glance at him over her shoulder when she swept some stray braids to her back, if it had something to do with the way he had been borderline gawking at her friend. "Oh, nothin', just someone I know from CIA. Sorry, I know nobody's really supposed to be coming around while we're doing the remodel, she's not great about giving heads up." "No, yeah, it's all good. Just got a lot of shit goin' on is all," Carmy half shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Sorry - um, what - what did you say her name was again?" His fingers smoothed over the his chin, ghosting the edge of his bottom lip, something of a habit of his when he was thinking too much, nervous, or upset. They all did it, really, each of the Berzattos did a lot of communicating with their hands. "Birdie," Syd replied, an attempt was made to not sound so curt, not wanting to rock the boat when it seemed the waters had finally calmed for the time being. "Did we sort out the deal with the lockers?" She pushed through the door to the back, pausing when she saw Richie, Fak and Marcus wrestling with moving said lockers. "That answers that question, great." She marked off an item from the list on the notebook tucked in her arm. Dark eyes found her partners light ones, a brow lifting curiously, "You good, Carm?" "Yeah, we're good. Look, I gotta run an errand real quick, can you hold down the fort til I get back?" He hardly waited for her agreement before he was brushing past her to grab his jacket out of the office and was out the door. Carmy hadn't had a goal in mind for where he was actually going, it had just been an excuse to get some fresh air so he could have a chance to think for a moment without being bothered. He told himself he did not have time to think about where he knew that girl from, but something totally different told him that he might not be able to not think about it now that he remembered.

Birdie was loud, but not in an obnoxious way, more like she was bright. She seemed cool, firendly in the way that Mikey is - was friendly. His brother had still been alive when Carmy had met her in New York, though they hadn't really been talking then.

It hadn't even been anything between them, she just happened to work the counter at the bodega that he stopped at once in a while on his way to or from work. Then she didn't work there anymore and some time later he saw her again working at the farmer's market he started going to. Then she didn't work there anymore.

He racked his brain because he thought there had been another place he'd seen her around but it wasn't coming to him. To be honest, he was sort of surprised at himself that he even remembered any of this at all because that's how unimportant the interactions had been.

And now, out of the blue, she'd turned up at his restaurant in Chicago and knew his partner - his friend, Syd. Then so many things flooded him in that instant.

Family Christmas five years ago, moving to New York following his cousins invitation, working for a Chef that made him throw up nearly every day, getting the call that Michael was gone.

It's kind of insane how such an insignificant memory can trigger a waterfall of painful ones.

Maybe that was why when he'd finally stopped walking and took in his surroundings he'd found himself standing outside the place where he usually went to Al-Anon meetings.

Exactly what he needed and could make time for.

ep. 3 is out now

Strange Currencies Ep.2 | Carmy Berzatto X Fem!reader

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