The One With the Last Kiss

Chapter 1: Hallway

The gang sat contentedly on the couch at Central Perk. Monica was nestled into Chandler's arm with his hand draping over her shoulder while Phoebe was strumming a tune on her guitar. Rachel chatted with Joey about her last date and Ross sat dejectedly, ordering a black coffee from Gunter who eyed Rach lustfully. Just a normal day of hanging out with friends.

"Uh, Ross, do you mind passing me a coaster?" Monica asked. Ross startled but passed his sister a stack of cheap foam coasters. She smiled a thank you and turned back to her fiancée who was, naturally, cracking a joke.

"Then he reached over and grabbed my hand," Rachel boasted eagerly, "and drew me in for a kiss. God, Joshua is so amazing!" Ross, not wanting to hear anymore of this, excused himself to go to the restroom.

He stopped in the hallway that led to the bathrooms and sat down on a worn leather loveseat.

"Why?" He wondered aloud, his head sinking into his awaiting hands. "Stupid… Stupid Joshua."

Rachel, eating her donut, heard Ross' muttering. She told Joey that she needed to wash her hands and headed into the small hallway that her best friend sat in.

Ross heard her coming, but took no notice of it until he felt her warm hand on his shoulder. It slid down his arm and onto his leg where she patted him comfortably.

"Ross, are you okay?" She asked with a mental kick. Was he okay? Obviously not. It was hard for her to see him as such a wreck.

"Yes, Rachel, I'm fine," he lied, wiping his slightly red eyes. The reason for his depression sitting next to him really didn't help. He looked at her beautiful blue eyes. Trailing down to her nose, which was flawless long before the surgery, and then down to her soft lips that he missed so much. Sighing, the reminiscence broke.

Rachel felt a bit uncomfortable by the way he was staring at her. Shifting uneasily, she now gazed at him just as intently. His soft, loving brown eyes, his prominent nose, and his lips that she too missed. Blinking rapidly, she finally came to the horrid realization that she wasn't over him.

"Ross… Is this because of me?"

"What do you think?" His answer was short and embarrassed.

Rachel bashfully let her eyes graze the tile. Her vision gradually climbed Ross' legs and rested on his face once again.

"Ross, you can't love me only when you're single. It's not fair," she justified.

"Rachel, do you think it didn't hurt me to see you with Josh every day? Even when I was with Emily? This isn't just some crush, okay?" Ross was nearly fuming. Did she really think that he only loved her when he was alone?

"Well, you're in no place to talk! I hate that you always tell me this when I'm in a relationship. You- you ruiner!"

That hurt. But, he supposed, she wasn't too far off. "You did this with Julie! It's my turn!" He retaliated.

Now Rachel was crying. Her head hung sadly as she wept.

Ross took her hand and lifted her head up gently.

"Shhh, Rach, don't cry. C'mere," Ross whispered as he helped her stand. Once she was up, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms locked around his neck. It had been a while since they hugged like this.

Ross wasn't going to bring it up, but he wondered if this was the start of something more. Rachel, coincidentally, asked herself the same thing as they embraced. Neither spoke, but both new that they were done with the break. It was only a matter of voicing it, now.