Chandler Bing X Reader Oneshots

●贵颈谤别

Powerless, my knees buckled and I fell onto them. Then my hands went out in front of me. My muscles refused to work, showing me how weak I truly was, that I could have but could not save her.

*Back to present*

"Chandler? Are you okay?"

I come back to my senses, on the floor in Central Perk. "Wha..."

"You blacked out there for a second, buddy." says Joey. "Are you still getting flashbacks?"

Buddy. Ugh. I have PTSD, I'm not a child.

"Yes, funnily enough when we all gather around to remember our friend passing, I remember witnessing it." I grumble, scratching the back of my neck. I don't like the way they all gather around me, their brows creased in concern. I don't like being the one who saw her, let her die. I don't like wondering if they think I could've done more. I feel guilty that I didn't. Perhaps guilty is the wrong word.... I feel ashamed.

I'm not the funny friend anymore. Now I'm the depressed friend, the mentally ill friend, the friend they hang out with because they feel sorry for me. I'm a charity case. They bring me food and hugs and grant me favours because I saw something I shouldn't have. They pretend that they understand something they'll never know.

"Listen, guys... I appreciate your concern, but I have to go. I'm interviewing a big firm and if all goes well, we're looking at a merger. Big money for the company, lots at stake." I'm glad I have an excuse to get out of there. I pick up my briefcase and make a dart for the door, but not before Phoebe grabs my arm. This action makes my sleeve creep up my arm, and I quickly pull it down. The only person who knows what's under my sleeve is my therapist, and I'd rather not burden my friends with it.

"Chandler, you know we're here for you, right?"

I sigh. "I know, Pheebs."

*

"So, as regional vice president, what do you think your company could do to complement ours?" I ask, clicking my ballpoint pen on my notepad as I await the executive's response. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, someone bursts into the meeting room.

"Sorry I'm late, sorry!" she cries. I look up and almost fall out of my chair.

"Zoey Winter? You're regional president?" My vision blurs for a second, my heart rate increasing. I'm not ready for this. The love of my life jusr walked into a business meeting! What are the odds?

"That I am. And you are?" She holds out her hand for me to shake. Those three words break my heart a little.

"Chandler Bing, regional vice president of this company." I reply, shaking her hand with a wry smile, watching her take a small step back as the realisation dawns on her face. She takes a moment to compose herself, before continuing professionally.

"What have I missed?"

"To be honest, I've gone through most of it with your vice president, so you can discuss it later if you want. We're running low on time anyway." I explain as everyone begins to file out of the conference room. We fall silent as we realise we're alone.

"You changed your hair." Zoey comments with a small smile.

"Well, I finished college and realised it was time to live in the real world. I can't believe you could look past it."

"Well, apparently neither could Adrienne Turner." That name takes me back to the moment I screwed it up.

*8 years earlier*

I could hardly hear Zoey's voice over the blaring music and the sound of everyone else trying to shout over it.

"I'm going to get another drink!" she yelled. "Do you want anything?" I shook my head; I'd already had four or five drinks and the room was starting to spin a little. I watched as my girlfriend disappeared into the crowd to get her drink, and jumped when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Chandler?" Adrienne Turner shouted as I whipped around. My drink-addled mind struggled to ignore the revealing dress she had on, and I carefully took a step back from her. I'd heard on the grapevine that she had a crush on me, and I knew she was trying to use this party to try to seduce me.

I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate through the alcohol-fueled haze as she tried to close the gap between us, resting her hands on my chest and placing her lips just half an inch from mine. I could smell her perfume and the drink on her breath, and my drunken hands found their way to her waist. "Adrienne... this is wrong..." but I couldn't quite remember why.

"Then just tell me to stop." she smirked, slowly pressing her lips against mine. Five drinks ago I would've ignored the caveman side of my brain screaming at me to take her bait, but I allowed my drunken state to dictate my every move as I kissed her back, tracing her curves as I felt her arms snake around my neck.

I jumped away from her when I heard the crash of a broken bottle on the floor, catching sight of Zoey's distraught face and the beer bottle she'd dropped. My whole world came crashing down as it dawned on me what I'd done, what I'd allowed myself to do...

*Back to present*

"I deserved that." I mutter with a small chuckle. "Listen... I can't apologise enough for the way things ended between us... but I'm not the idiot I used to be. It's been eight years. Maybe we could start over?"

Zoey pauses for a second to think, before smiling sweetly. "Maybe we could. Why don't we go out to dinner tonight?"

Zoey's POV

I'd heard about the fire at Monica's restaurant three years ago; it was a big story in New York at the time. I'd heard that she had passed away, and that Chandler had tried to save her. I also know that today is the anniversary of the fire, and I can see the shadows of trauma in his eyes as he thinks about how to answer me.

"Okay, maybe we could go out tonight," he smiles, taking a step closer to me. "Maybe we should pick up where we left off. And... oh, look. We're alone." he whispers, tentatively placing his hands on my waist.

"Well, Mr Bing, you know this is against company policy..." I smirk, slowly taking off his suit jacket. My smile fades when I catch sight of his forearms, bare due to his short shirt sleeves and peppered with scars. "Chandler..." I mumble, not sure how to react. His breathing is shallow as he picks up his jacket from the ground, throwing it back on and heading for the door.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake..." he says, his voice shaking.

"Wait!" I shout, and he stops in his tracks without turning around. "I heard about the fire... about Monica... Chandler, I would never judge you for the way you coped with that experience. I can't even imagine what you went through."

"Zoey... I still love you. But so much time has passed, so much has happened since college."

"Why don't we catch up, then? At dinner?" I smile as he turns around, taking my hands in his.

"Is this what you want? I'm so... broken."

"I've never been more sure of anything. You're not broken, Chandler. You had a traumatic experience and I can see that it's changed you, but you are enough... you are more than enough for me."

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Bit of a longer one and kind of depressing... I guess I'm just better at writing that stuff lol

Thanks for reading and leave any feedback in the comments if you liked it or think I could improve anything!

-Dynasty