Author: Jen

Author's Note: I wanted to write a story where Chandler is already openly out and living his life with the friends as a gay man. He met the whole gang and was roommates with Joey before he came out. Now it's been a few years since he came out and the friends are all accepting of him. Takes place around season five.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own anything or any of the characters.

So, I've been dating this new guy lately, his name is Eddie. He's kind of weird and creepy, but god is he good in bed. He's… quiet, he only says a word or two most of the time and truthfully he's not my type looks wise either. My type is more…Joey. Not that I have thing for Joey, he's my best friend. I knew him before I even came out. It's just I have a thing for the Italian type with a cute face and dimples. That's not Eddie, he has a long face with bushy eyebrows that makes him look kind of evil and I hate how he slicks his hair back scalp tight like he's in a mob or something, but I'm being harsh. He's not… that bad.

Really, my friend from work set us up and I couldn't be less into him. He was boring and strange throughout the whole first date, so at the time, I figured I might as well get something out of this night. So I take him back to the apartment and we end up sleeping together and now it's the only reason I keep him around. I honestly have no idea how he feels. It's only physical for me, but he barely says a word ever, so I have no idea if he's aware of this or if he cares.

But I guess I say we're "dating" cause occasionally he'll look at me and say "dinner?" and I'll go "sure" and we'll go out to eat or sometimes catch a movie. But truthfully I do those things with Ross or Phoebe or any of my friends, so maybe I shouldn't count it.

Well, anyway one night I have Eddie in my room and we're starting to fool around, when he stops and looks at me. I wait for him to form words.

"You know…" he starts slow, like always. It's like a year waiting for him to complete a sentence, if this guy ever spoke fast I would be beyond shocked.

"It's pretty cool of your friends…. being so cool with your sexuality and all."

I'm taken aback by his words for once. This is the deepest thing he has ever said to me and also the first time he has ever mentioned my friends; whom he has met and seen countless times.

"Uh, yeah I guess it is."

I lean in to get back to what I need him for, but he doesn't budge. He brushes my kiss off and stares into the unknown again.

"I…I didn't have the easiest time coming out."

"No?"

He shakes his head. I know I should be interested and comforting towards him and this experience we both had to go through, but I could care less. I really feel nothing for this guy. I'm preparing myself for the longest story of my life when we hear a knock at my door.

"Chandler?" I hear Joey's voice and have never been so happy to hear it. Thank you Joey, thank you!

I jump up and swing the door open.

"Yeah bud?" I gleefully lean against the doorframe with a smile on my face. He sees Eddie on my bed.

"Oh, sorry am I interrupting?" he asks.

"Not at all, what do you need?"

"I was just wondering if you ate, I was gonna order a pizza."

"Oh no I haven't, I'd love to get in on that…Eddie you want to stay for pizza?"

Eddie looks up at me and silently starts to get up, off my bed. We wait awkwardly for him to decide to answer. He finally says, "Nah, I think I'll head home."

He sounds disappointed.

I think I'm supposed to feel bad about crushing his opportunity to share his coming out tale, but I'm so happy he's leaving. He approaches to the doorframe and Joey backs up so he can pass by, but Eddie walks right up to Joey anyway and simply states, "Joey." Joey nods and replies, "Eddie." He nods and leaves. When the front door shuts, I smile at Joey and he gives me a half smile back.

"He's still creepy," he says to me.

"I know."

We walk to the island to get the phone and order the pizza.

"So why do you keep him around?" Joey asks as he gets the pizza menu out.

I give him a look of he knows why and he scrunches his face at me.

Another week or so goes by and everything with Eddie is the same again. He hasn't mentioned his coming out experience again or tried to start up the story again. We're back to one word conversations and sex, when suddenly he springs the biggest shocker on me.

"I don't think this is working," he says to me, one night, in my room when I have my pants around my ankles. I thought we were just about to get busy. I reach down and pull my pants back up.

"What?" I spit out.

"This…us… it's not working out for me anymore."

"What— what do you mean, you —wait you don't think," I stumbled, still fathomed by the fact that he could be breaking up with me.

"Why?" I finally get out.

"It's obvious you have feelings for Joey."

Now my mouth really drops.

"Joey….Joey? Feelings? For... Joey!" I sputter out.

"Yeah," he responds calmly as ever, with no emotion, like always.

"I don't like Joey, he's my friend and roommate," I tell him.

"Come on, you guys have like history and a bond, I can see the way you look at him."

It's bad enough I could have never seen any of this coming, but it's also hard to handle this many words coming out of Eddie's mouth at once.

"Eddie, listen I don't like Joey that way, if I did I'm sure I would have made a move on him already," I tell him firmly.

"Well, is he single?" Eddie asks.

"What does that matter?"

"Well, maybe I'd like to date him."

My head literally spins around in circles at this point.

"He's not gay!" I shout. "And and what do you mean date him, now you like him and not me?" I add, frustrated.

"Eh, well you are just… boring sometimes… a little stale."

"Boring? Boring!" I yell in astonishment.

I can't believe he's saying this. The guy with literally no emotion and three words a day is calling me stale and boring, me! I can't believe this guy, there must be stream blowing out of my ears at this point.

"Alright, Eddie, just go!"

I figure there's no use in arguing. If he doesn't already know what a bore he is, someone else can break it to him. He probably wouldn't see it anyway.

I point to the door and he walks out. He stops outside my room turns and says his final word to me.

"Goodbye."