Chapter Text
"New kid. Uhh... You're with Kimberly, okay?"
"Hi."
"Hey. What're we doing?"
"It's some retarded partner thing and you'll probably slack right off and I'll end up doing all the work."
"Uh... Nice to meet you! I'm Scott."
"The pleasure's all mine."
"I think I like her..."
"What?"
"Kim P."
"You "like her" like her? You barely even know her!"
"Wow. What a great day to miss the bus!"
"Scott! They kidnapped Kim!"
"Let her go, Simon! I've defeated all your evil bosses, you're finished!"
"Took you long enough..."
"Scott! This sucks!"
"This is the best St. Joel's could muster?"
"That's not what your mom said last night!"
"Mercy! Please, I've been a fool..."
"... You'll never change."
KICK
"I didn't know who'd rescue me from that maniac but I secretly hoped it would be you, Scott."
"I like you, Kim. We should be dating."
"Also, do you wanna play drums in my band?"
"Yes, Scott! Oh yes!"
"Thank you, Kim's Basement!"
"Woo!"
"We are Sonic & Knuckles! One, Two, Three, Four!"
"Listen to this song. This is a really good song~"
"You're moving to Toronto...?"
"..."
"... If we... I-If we ever see each other again, and we're both single... We'll get back together..."
"..."
"I promise, Kim..."
"..."
"Y-You better keep your damn word, Pilgrim..."
"I... Uh... I got a haircut. See?"
"Get out of my life, Scott."
"Caramel macchiato for Scott Pilgrim!"
"Yeah, thanks..." Scott muttered as he accepted his coffee before heading out of Second Cup.
It had been a year since him and Nat- Envy had their big breakup, and it had left him feeling pretty down. There was an equal amount of hurt on both sides, and seeing her look so emotional pained him, but he just couldn't tolerate her perverting everything they'd built up anymore.
"Everything sucks..." Pilgrim groaned as he took a sip of his coffee, although not even that could uplift him.
Honestly, the signs were there. Even an airhead like him could see the cracks forming. But the more he thought about it , the more he realized that this was probably how it was meant to be.
He really did like Envy, no lie, but he was never "in love" with her. He couldn't even convince himself by saying it out loud.
The young adult looked back at the entrance to Second Cup, staring at his own reflection in the glass.
Now that he thought about it, he was never able to fall in love with Envy because throughout their relationship, he still found himself thinking about her.
The one that got away...
It's been years and he still found himself thinking about her.
Sure, it wasn't too serious, and they were just young and stupid teenagers in high school, but what they had still felt special to him...
God, he missed her...
He couldn't help but let out a sad chuckle as a thought occurred to him.
'You'd definitely have something sarcastic to say if you were here.' He mentally commented before turning away from the shop, "No use dwelling on the past, I guess..."
It was then that a certain memory from their last moments together flashed in his head.
.
.
.
"... If we... I-If we ever see each other again, and we're both single... We'll get back together..."
.
.
.
"God..." He scoffed at his younger self's naivety, "What did I even say that for...?"
"I mean it's not like she's just gonna randomly show up-"
"Scott...?"
The sound of a familiar feminine voice caused Scott to freeze up on the spot, and he slowly turned to the source of the voice, only to feel his heart rate skyrocket.
Staring back at him was a similarly shocked girl with short red hair and three freckles on each cheek, wearing a long green coat.
It had been so long since he'd seen her, her appearance had changed a bit since high school, yet he was able to recognize her instantly.
"K-Kim...?" He stammered in disbelief.
The former lovers stood in place for a few seconds, unsure of what to even do or say. I mean, what exactly do you do after running into your ex that you haven't seen in like 7 years??
The awkward silence permeated the atmosphere for a while that memory came to Scott once again.
.
.
.
"... If we... I-If we ever see each other again, and we're both single... We'll get back together..."
.
.
.
... Should he go for it? I mean, he's been depressed about the whole Envy thing for a whole year. He deserved some happiness too, didn't he?
But wouldn't it be pretty awkward? They literally just saw each other again after so long, after all...
... Ah, who was he kidding? He's been dreaming about this for years and he finally got to see her again. No way was he gonna let this chance slip!
"U-Uh... Hey, and... stuff...!" He awkwardly greeted with a sheepish grin, "Been a while, huh? I mean, gosh! How long has it been? Like 7 years?"
He received no verbal response as she continued to stare at him in bewilderment.
"... Haha...! It's good to see you too!" He supplemented in a cringey manner, "Especially since I've dreaming about you and this kind of reunion for a while now... Er, not in a creepy way though... Was that creepy? I-I didn't mean to make that sound so creepy... heheh..."
Seeing as how he was already digging himself into a deeper pit of humiliation, Scott groaned in agony before taking a deep breath and yelling...
"DO YOU WANT TO GET BACK TOGETHER? I THINK WE SHOULD GET BACK TOGETHER! CASUALLY GET BACK TOGETHER!"
His sudden outburst seemed to snap Kim out of her daze as she jolted back a bit in surprise, although it seemed like she was realizing what exactly he had exclaimed.
They stood in other awkward silence as the Pilgrim silently prayed that he hadn't already fumbled his only opportunity to get back with his first girlfriend.
Suddenly, Kim's flabbergasted expression shifted into one that was indiscernible as she started stomping towards him.
The sudden change caught Scott off guard and he quickly raised his hands up in defense.
"W-Woah woah, calm down! I'm sorry if that was too sudde-!"
HUG
Scott's plea for his life was shut down when Kim, instead of harming him, swiftly enveloped him in a tight embrace, much to his surprise.
"Wha..." He looked down at his ex who was burying her face into his chest, "K-Kim-?"
"Just shut up and hug me, Scott..."
"... Y-Yeah... Okay." He uttered back as he returned the hug, holding her tightly as well.
After everything that went down, he really was in dire need of a hug...
Especially from her...
After their rather tender moment outside the Second Cup, the "couple" went back inside the coffee shop, sitting across each other at a table.
"So uh... How goes everything?" Scott decided to ask, "Has life been treating you well?"
"It's been alright, I guess." Kim simply stated before taking a sip from her own coffee.
"Cool cool." Scott nodded, "I could say the same. Especially since you're here."
"You say that but I recall you walking out of this place like a dejected puppy." Kim retorted.
"Uhhh... Do you mind if we don't get into that right now?" He pleaded.
All Kim did was glare at him in response.
"*Sigh* I was moping about my breakup with my big ex." Scott revealed in defeat.
Kim's eyebrows slightly rose up in interest, "Your big ex?"
"Yeah... From uni." He added.
"Sounds like things went south." Kim commented.
"It wasn't like that at first. She used to be so nice, and fun, and she was a total geek like me." Scott detailed, "... But things changed... She changed... And not for the better ."
"Hm. So what was her name?" Kim asked out of curiosity.
"Ehhh... Y-You probably already know her." Scott sheepishly uttered.
"I do?" Kim asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well... you know that hot new band, The Clash at Demonhead, right?"
"I know of them." Kim answered. Her roommate at university had shown her some of the band's songs, and she had to admit, they weren't bad.
"Well, let's just say that I know Envy Adams better than even her biggest fans..."
It took approximately 5 seconds for Scott's words to register in Kim's brain.
"Get the #*@! out."
"I'm not joking!" Scott defended.
"No !*@#!*@ way you dated Envy Adams!" Kim exclaimed in astonished disbelief.
"I'm seriously not joking! Ask Stephen Stills!"
"Who the hell is Stephen Stills??"
"Oh right, we're only in Chapter 1..." Scott trailed off.
"What?"
"A-Anyway, I swear I'm not lying, Kim!" Scott affirmed, "Believe it or not, I really did date Envy Adams in university, but this was before she became a total bi- I mean- famous or whatever..."
Kim still wanted to call BS on Scott's claim, but she noticed the serious gaze in his eye when he talked about Envy, and for some reason, it oddly implored her to believe him.
"... Well, I guess I'll believe you." She conceded.
"Really?" Scott asked, a bit surprised that it didn't take too long to convince her.
"You're many things, Scott. A good liar isn't one of them." Kim stated with a sip of her coffee.
"Hey! I can lie when it's needed!" Scott tried to rebut.
"Doesn't mean you're good at it." Kim swiftly retorted.
Unable to come up with another defense, Scott crossed his arms and pouted in defeat, looking like an upset child, which nearly made Kim crack a smile. (Note: She did. It was just a little one.)
"So... If you don't mind me asking, what led to you guys calling it quits?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Well, we first met through her bitchy roommate, Julie Powers. We actually only hit it off because we both thought she was full of it." Scott revealed with a chuckle at the memory, "And eventually we started going out. We even started a band with me, her and Stephen Stills called Kid Chameleon."
"Kid Chameleon, hm?" Kim smirked, "I'm willing to bet I already know who came up with that name."
"I-It's not my fault so many video game titles make good band names!" Scott sheepishly defended himself.
"Ahem, anyway... Things were going well at first, both the band and us, I mean." He continued his retelling, "But then, she started acting weird..."
"She used to be something of a dork, like me, but then she started selling all of her manga and anime stuff to buy all these expensive clothes. She started changing things up in the band without even consulting me or Stephen Stills..." He added, "And then she totally copied Eminem and started calling herself Envy."
"... Eminem?" Kim repeated in confusion.
"Yeah! Y'know? Cuz his initials are M and M? Eminem?" Scott explained like it was common knowledge, "Same thing she did with her initials, N and V."
"Wait, Envy isn't her real name?" Kim asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Her full name is Natalie V. Adams." Scott revealed, "N.V. Envy."
"... Huh."
"Maybe I could do the same thing, don't you think?" Scott thought with a smile, "S and P. Esenpee Pilgrim? Or should it just be Esenpee? Actually would that even work since I'm not a solo act-?"
SMACK
"Oww!" Scott whined as he held the top of his head in pain.
"Focus, Pilgrim!" Kim chided.
"S-Sorry, sorry!" He apologized, "... Ummm, what were we talking about?"
Kim let out a sigh of annoyance, "You were explaining how you and Envy broke up."
"R-Right! Right!" He uttered in remembrance, "Where was I? Uhh... Julie, band, dork, initials... Oh yeah!"
"I really tried to make things work... I even wrote a song about her." Scott revealed before looking a bit glum, "But she didn't really get it..."
"I'm guessing she was too blinded by the fame to see the "beauty" of it, hm?" Kim suggested in quotes.
"Yup." Scott nodded, "I even tried to tell her I love her one time but... It didn't feel right..."
"For her or for you...?"
"Both of us." Scott answered, "Truth is, I was getting really frustrated about how she was acting, but I usually kept it to myself."
Scott then took a deep breath as if he were preparing himself for something difficult before continuing.
"And then... the New Years' Party came up."
"What happened on New Years'?" Kim asked with furrowed eyebrows, noticing how downtrodden her ex seemed.
"Last year, we went to a party that was happening on New Year's Eve, and of course, she was still acting like a total ass..." Scott began, "I just kept ignoring it like usual..."
"But then, I ended up getting super drunk, and I don't know why but... I remember after that, I just got super pissed off at Envy and started blowing up at her, which made us get into a super bad argument." Scott brought a hand to soothe his head, as if he were reliving the event, "She said some hurtful things, and I said some back, though it was mainly just me finally letting out all the emotions I was holding back."
"Scott..." Kim mentioned his name with a sympathetic look.
"By the end of it all, we were both emotional wrecks... and, well... We broke up." Scott finally finished sadly, "Stephen Stills and I left Kid Chameleon, we went our separate ways... and I even found out sometime later that she had been cheating on me with her best friend from Montreal or whatever, but I just didn't care. Note: He did.
"Jesus, Scott..." Kim uttered, "That's... That's a lot... I can understand why you're still so affected by all that."
Scott may be a bit of an idiot but there was no way she couldn't feel bad for him after hearing his story. From what she heard, his relationship with Envy really put him through the wringer. Not to mention, going through a breakup is rough on its own, but going through a breakup on New Year's AND finding out you were being cheated on? That's brutal.
"It's just... It's so damn annoying." Scott stated with a sigh, "It's been a whole year since then but I still find myself thinking about it. Thinking about her... I already know it wasn't meant to be, but sometimes I can't help but wonder how things could've been different..."
"Was I the problem? Did I not try hard enough to make things work? Should I have fought for her? Could I have-?"
"Scott!"
"Uwah??" He jumped at the sudden interjection from Kim.
"Would you stop that?" The redhead firmly demanded, "You and that bitch aren't together anymore. There's no point in thinking about how to fix a relationship that wasn't meant to last in the first place."
Her stern look shifted into a softer gaze as she placed a hand on Scott's, surprising him further.
"I understand why you'd be so hung up on everything, Scott. Anyone would." She stated, "But just because things didn't work out with Envy doesn't mean your life is over."
"She's not the first girl you've ever met, and I know for a fact she's not the ONLY one in your life. You can move on from her." Kim assured him before slightly looking off to the side with what one could clearly see were dusts of pink on her cheeks, "And... maybe you might even find the right girl to help with that..."
By the end of her rant, Scott was left bewildered. Though he knew very well that Kim was capable of being compassionate, she only ever did it whenever she was around him or Lisa. So seeing her do it so openly really threw him for a loop.
Still, he couldn't deny that both her words and her sympathy brought him some warmth... and it definitely helped to know that she was still willing to support him.
"Thanks, Kim... I think I really needed to hear that." He thanked her with a genuine smile.
If Kimberly claimed that seeing Scott's grateful grin didn't make her heart flutter a little, she'd be the biggest liar in Toronto.
"You're welcome, Pilgrim." She replied with a smile back.
Despite the rather sappy moment, Scott couldn't help but smile a bit more mischievously as a thought came to him.
"Y'know... There's kind of another reason why I never fell in love with Envy that I forgot to bring up."
"Like what?" Kim asked with a raised eyebrow.
"During the entire time she and I were dating, I sometimes found myself thinking about... another girl." He admitted.
"Another girl...?" Kim asked in slight surprise.
"Yeah. This one girl I dated in the past... that I might still have feelings for..." He sheepishly added.
Ok. This was new.
"And who exactly is she?"
"Ahh, you know... This one girl from high school." Scott described her with a cheeky grin, "With red hair, and about three freckles on each cheek. Heheh..."
"Red hair... three freckles on-"
Judging from the way her eyes widened and the tiny blush on her face, she immediately picked up on his words.
"Oh my god..." She brought her face into her hands, "Don't push your luck, Pilgrim."
"I dunno. I'm feeling pretty lucky. Especially since I got to see you again." He remarked.
"And what makes you think I'm so damn eager to get back together with you?" Kim challenged.
"Well, that giant hug you gave me was a pretty good sign." Scott claimed with a bit of cockiness, "Not to mention, I recall the two of us making a certain promise about 7 years ago?"
"You mean the promise we made when we were dumb hormonal teenagers?" She shot back, "It's not exactly uncommon to say things without really thinking about them at 16."
"So... you don't wanna get back together?" He asked with a tinge of disappointment.
"I didn't say that."
Scott let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Go-"
"I didn't say I want to either."
"Oh c'mon, Kim!" He whined in exasperation.
This time, she didn't try to hide her smirk as she took a sip of her coffee.
Scott simply pouted again before sipping his own cup.
"Anyway... that's enough about my exes. What about you?"
"Wha- Me??" Kim repeated in confusion.
"Yeah!" Scott affirmed with a grin, "I mean, there's no way you don't also have any exes to tell me about."
"And what exactly makes you say that?" Kim asked with a dangerously raised eyebrow, as if to tell him he better choose his next words carefully.
"Kim, you're a hell of a catch." Scott confidently stated, "A damn fine woman too, I might add."
"... Whatever, asshole." She snorted.
"I'm serious!" Scott exclaimed with a laugh, "I mean who wouldn't wanna date you? You're sarcastic, but you show it off in a way that's funny. Your attitude makes you seriously enchanting, like REALLY enchanting. And did I forgot to mention how pretty you are? Even though it's shorter now, your red hair's still as beautiful ever, you've got a really attractive face, and of course, ya can't forget the freckles. After all, they are the cutest part of your-"
"A-Alright alright, I get it!" Kim cut him off with a furious blush, "Jeez...!"
Her flustered reaction elicited a comically large gasp from her ex.
"Are you blushing?!"
"L-Like hell I am, moron!" She vehemently denied.
"You totally are!" Scott pointed out, "Your face is as red as your hair right now!"
"It is not!"
"Haha!" Scott let out a triumphant laugh before looking smug, "Looks like the Pilgrim is still irresistible to the Pine Tree after all~"
"You are such a man-child, Pilgrim..." Kim jabbed, her face fully buried in the table as if to hide her shame.
"Maybe, but that's part of my charm, isn't it?" The aforementioned Pilgrim retorted with a wink.
".... Keep telling yourself that." Kim, who'd rather die than admit that he's right, muttered before raising her head, "Anyway, to sate your curiosity, I actually haven't dated anyone at uni."
"For real?" Scott asked in surprise, "Nobody?"
"Nope." Kim affirmed, "The most I ever did was hook up with my roommate, and she only offered because she had just gone through a breakup."
"Oh oka-"
Scott initial words died down as he suddenly registered her last sentence.
"Wait. SHE??" He repeated the key word, "As in... GIRL?!"
"Uhh... Yes?" Kim answered, perplexed by his flabbergasted reaction.
"No way...." Scott uttered in a slack-jawed manner before picking it back up and pointing at Kim, "You had a sexy phase?!"
"A what??" Kim repeated in even deeper confusion before realization hit her, causing her to gain a tick mark, "Scott... You're not seriously getting excited by the idea of me kissing a girl, are you...?"
"... Nooo?" He averted his gaze with a very unconvincing reply.
Kim let out an annoyed sigh as she facepalmed, "I hate you..."
"Sorry...!" Scott apologized with an awkward chuckle.
"Can we please just talk about something else?" Kim pleaded.
"Got it! Switching topics now!" Scott enthusiastically exclaimed, "So uh... Do you still play? Y'know, the drums?"
"Actually, yes." She answered with a smile, "Never stopped."
"Really?" Scott asked with childlike interest, "That's awesome!"
"Mhm. Drumming has always been an outlet for my emotions." Kim stated with a smirk, "Rage, mostly."
"Believe me, I know." Scott agreed.
"Pfft. You say that as if you've ever played." Kim scoffed.
"I did, actually." He informed her.
"Wait, really?" Kim asked in surprise.
"Yeah. When Kid Chameleon was just me, Envy and Stephen Stills, I was the drummer." He revealed, "I remember thinking, "Wow! No wonder Kim loved the drums so much!"
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Pilgrim?" She remarked with an amused smirk, "Now I've gotta see you in action for myself."
"Sure, I guess? I doubt I'm anywhere near as good as the master." He stated in comedic humility, earning a playful "Shut up" from his ex, "Besides, I'm still busy getting the hang of bass."
"Ah, from guitar to bass, eh?" Kim commented.
"Yup! It's actually a lot easier to learn than a regular guitar." Scott cheerfully stated, "I like to think my grasp on it is superb by now!"
"Somehow, I doubt that."
"Oh, I'm so going to make you eat those words!" He challenged.
"Whatever, dork." Kim retorted with a laugh, taking another sip of her coffee.
The pair continued to lively chat away as they caught up at the Second Cup, and judging from the smiles on both of their faces, they were clearly enjoying not just their conversation, but also each other's company.
"Sex Bob-Omb?"
"Yeah! Pretty cool name for a band, amirite?" Scott asked with a dorky grin as he and Kim walked.
Kim merely rolled her eyes in response, "You're the most predictable person I know, Pilgrim."
"The good kind of predictable, or bad?" He asked.
"... You figure it out." Kim retorted.
They eventually stopped once they reached their destination, Stephen Still's house.
"Welp, here it is. Stephen Still's place." Scott gestured to the house.
"Hm. It certainly is a house." Kim dully commented.
"He's probably in the living room right now." Scott stated.
"Well, aren't you gonna take me in and introduce me to this Stephen guy?"
"In a sec." Scott replied, "There's actually something really important I gotta ask you. Like, REALLY, important."
"And what exactly would that be?" The redhead questioned.
"Well, like I said before, our band's still pretty incomplete. I've got the bass covered and Stephen Stills is on guitar... All that's left is for us to find a drummer..." Scott informed her before turning a bit sheepish, "So I was kinda... sorta... hoping you'd-"
"You want me to be the drummer for your new band?" Kim deadpanned.
"Yeah pretty much!" Scott enthusiastically confirmed, "Please say yes!"
The freckled young lady appeared to be thinking about her decision for a good few seconds before finally giving her answer.
"No."
"Wha-??"
"Not unless you ask me properly." Kim cut him off, much to his confusion.
"Huh? What do you mea-?"
"Before you ask me what I mean, answer me this." Kim instructed, "Why exactly do you wanna get back together with me in the first place?"
Ok, if he wasn't confused then, he definitely looked like a disoriented dog right now.
"I... Wha... Didn't I already explain this, Kim?" Scott Pilgrim (Pretty Damn Confused) asked in confusion.
"Scott." Kim said his name with a very serious gaze, "For once in your precious little life, use that tiny lump you call a brain to think. Then you'll find your answer."
Even with her stern command, Scott still found himself perplexed beyond belief.
What did she mean by asking her properly? And why was she asking him his reason for wanting to get back with her. Shouldn't it be obvious? What was there to think about again? Did it have something to do with their time as a couple back in high school? But even when they first got together he made it pretty clear that he liked-
GAAASP
Kim jumped back a bit with wide eyes, not expecting the comically huge gasp from her ex(?)
"Uhh...Sco-?"
She was interrupted by Scott firmly placing a hand on her shoulder and staring her right in the eyes with a sincere fondness.
"I... I still like you, Kim. We should still be dating." He softly stated in a familiar manner.
Kim's shock subsided and shifted into satisfaction as she shot him a genuine smile.
"Also, do you wanna play drums for my new band?" He added with a hopeful smile.
His question would finally be answered when Kim placed her hands on both sides of his face and said...
"Yes, Scott. Oh yes~"
At that, she immediately pulled him in for a kiss.
Scott was a little taken aback by the fact that he was kissing his ex for the first time since high school, but he found nothing wrong with it as he closed his eyes and instantly reciprocated the kiss.
They weren't sure what would come out of this. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe they were just setting each other up for failure again.
But right now, it didn't matter, as the only thing they cared about right now was finally making up for those 7 goddamn years...