illicit affairs | Charlie Barber x Reader

chapter one: new beginnings

WELCOME, EVERYONE!!!! I'm so excited for you guys to read my new fic, illicit affairs, with Charlie Barber himself... Please let me know what you think, and i hope you guys stick around :) 

-dal
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Life as a student was hard.

Actually, let's rephrase that... Life as a student was hard for you.

You were different from your peers. Their parents had no problems paying their overpriced tuition, sending them to one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The other students treated it like a vacation away from home, while the fate of their future was already taken care of by their parents.

You found it rather laborious to relate to them.

The others had financial security, while you relied on a scholarship to get you through college. They blew off studying, partying the night away without a shed of worry about their upcoming exams. You took up a bartending job at the local college bar, making the drinks that were in their hands while they had the time of their lives.

A college education was a privilege and if that meant living your college years working your ass off, then you wouldn't complain. After everything you've been through, you felt fortunate with the way things were. Your situation could be a lot worse, so who were you to feel ungrateful? As long as you stuck to your schedule, none of it mattered. You relied on your own agenda for the last three years, making sure you stuck with it to get to this point... Your senior year.

With the last year about to start, that meant you were a year away from your trip and flying halfway across the world.

Of course, traveling to Europe wasn't something you always pictured doing. It seemed more of a bucket list item that you would write down for fun. It wasn't like you were ever serious about it. You were always the one to stay close to home... Wherever that may be now.

After the unfortunate event of your parents passing away, traveling to Europe wasn't just another empty dream you would never accomplish. You were going to make it a reality.

Growing up, you always heard your parents' stories.

They were in their mid 20's and were strangers in the same neighborhood. They both wanted to live their lives before it was riddled with the stresses of growing up. They didn't know the other existed until a rare incident occurred.

They both took a spontaneous trip to Europe, neighbors finally meeting for the first time overseas. It took traveling thousands of miles away for them to finally meet each other and eventually find a love that they didn't know existed.

Seeing the illusion of love being played out in the movies always made it seem far-fetched to you. It wasn't until you were old enough to see what your parents had. They showed you that what they had was special, proving to you that love was real. No matter how bitter you would get over the years, they reminded you that one day, you could feel that sort of connection with someone. Until that happened, they always made sure to share some of the love with you.

Up until today, your parents were your role models.

Your mom was a historian while your dad practically lived in art museums. Looking up to everything they did, sparked a new love for you. You would sneak into their home offices and try to sneak under their desk, reading whatever textbook was laying around in the room. They eventually set up a bookshelf for you, letting you start a collection of your own. They laughed every time you laid on the floor with your legs propped up on the wall. They didn't understand why you did it and honestly, you didn't either. You just knew it brought a smile to their face when you did, so you never stopped.