Chandler Bing X Reader Oneshots

●Fire

Requested by @oooSecretWriterooo
Sorry if it doesn't fit the brief 100% lol

Warning: mentions of depression, PTSD, death, panic attack, severe injury, grief, self harm, all the mature stuff besides actual smut, continue at your own risk

Chandler's POV

It's Saturday, so my alarm doesn't ring. I fight the daily battle in my head of whether to stay in the blissful warmth of my bed, or to drag myself up and have a somewhat productive day. Eventually the latter side wins, and I force myself to sit up, glancing at the calendar on my wall, and on today's date reads the word in my untidy scrawl: "Monica". It's April 9th... damn. Has it been three years already? Yes, that's right... three years...

A thick fog threatens to cloud my mind and tries to pull me back into bed, but I talk to myself as though I'm a patient in my own care: "Okay Chandler, now you need to get up... now you need to get dressed... now you need to brush your teeth...". I struggle to push through these simple tasks, before stopping in front of the bathroom mirror to check my reflection. I run a hand through my chestnut-coloured hair and glance at my watch. 10:23am, and Rachel wanted the five of us to meet at Central Perk at half past.

"Joey?" I call out, and my roommate emerges from his bedroom, looking groggy and still wearing his pyjamas.

"What? It's Saturday..."

"It's the ninth."

"Oh..." His eyes widen before he rushes back into his room, racing out after a couple of minutes and quickly brushing his teeth. "Chan, how do I look?"

"I won't lie to you, you look pretty great considering it took you the best part of four minutes to get ready," I chuckle. Trust my best friend to cheer me up, even if he wasn't intending to be funny. "Come on, we're going to be late."

As I'm waiting for Joey to lock the apartment behind us, the door to apartment 20 opens across the hall. "Hey, Rach," I smile, and I can see by her slightly smudged mascara that she's already been crying. I pull her into a hug, rubbing her back gently. "I know this is a hard day," I whisper as she buries her face in the crook of my neck. "We have to be strong.... it's what she would want." I pull away, and Rachel smiles at me in spite of her tears.

"Thank you, Chandler... oh, this is so stupid! Will I ever get over it, even after so long?"

"I'd start to worry if you did." Joey chipped in.

"Come on, let's go. Ross and Phoebe'll be waiting for us." I say, jerking my head in the direction of the stairs.

The three of us trudge into the coffee house, where Ross and Phoebe sit playing chess... or at least, what I think is chess. I stop and stare as Phoebe picks up her king and sends it skipping across the board before yelling, "CHESS! HA! I BEAT YOU!"

"Phoebe...." sighs Ross in exasperation. "Never mind... hey, guys." We all reply "Hey..." in unison. There's a solemn silence for a few moments as coffee is ordered, before Rachel speaks up.

"Today's the ninth."

More silence.

"I... I just thought we should take a moment to remember her. Monica." Rachel raises her mug of coffee, and we follow suit.

"Monica." We say in unison. We remember someone we long to have back with us. We remember an event we would rather forget. I set my coffee down as intrusive thoughts cloud my mind again, but instead of its usual dull hum it builds, reaching a screaming crescendo as I'm forced to remember that awful day. The worst day of my life.