Valentines
by Tina
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OK, this is my humble entry at the 'Everlasting Love' fanfiction contest, at the Friends-Boards;) Ross and Rachel's first Valentine's day after getting back together :) It'll have 3 parts. I'll probably be posting one each day. The second part is nearly finished and I already know pretty much everything that will happen on the 3rd, so we're good :) Hope you like it, and don't forget reviews are always welcome!
About my other fics... be patient, I haven't been in the right mood lately...!
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It started off as any other Monday. At six thirty the alarm clock rang, but she barely noticed it. It stopped. She stirred and opened her eyes briefly.
The room was cozily dark, only invaded by soft rays of light that, uninvited, crept from between the thin gaps of the shut drapes. The air purifier buzzed surprisingly soothingly on the background. It was something she had grown to love many years before. It was a reassurance of the presence of the man sleeping beside her. The covers were soft, comforting, and the lobsters' scents mixed together and emerged as one from all its thick layers, nestling her perfectly.
The atmosphere didn't invite such a premature awake.
She caught a glimpse him getting out of bed, then turned to the other side and fell right back asleep.
A soft kiss on her neck and then his clean shaved face pressed up against hers. His gentle hand caressed her side.
He smelled nice.
"Wake up, you"
His voice sounded so sweet.
"Hmmm"
"Happy Valentine's day"
She smiled and finally opened her eyes. There he was...! Though it had been a while since they would wake up together, again, having his face as the first thing she saw each morning never failed to amuse her. Having him wish her a 'Happy Valentines Day' only aggravated it that particular time.
"Happy Valentines day to you too..." she whispered, brushing her lips so softly against his, kissing him nice.
He backed away from her only to reveal a tray filled with breakfast goodies.
"Here, I made you pancakes, French toast and I got you some fruits"
Rachel just smiled and quickly looked at her wrist watch.
"Put that down, Ross"
"Huh?"
"You didn't think I'd let your gesture go by without thanking you, did you?"
He smiled back, finally understanding what she meant.
"Hm, gladly..."
Ross set the tray down on the floor and was embraced by her open arms under the blankets.
While they made love, Rachel couldn't help but remember the other time they had celebrated this date together. The passionate and young love they shared, the lazy entire evening spread across his bed at his old apartment. Life seemed so much easier back then. Well, it kind of was. And it matched well with the person she used to be.
Though Rachel still thought of herself as a woman in progress, back then she was in the very early stages of it. She never denied her love for him, but they sure had needed that time apart to grow as individuals before they could merge as one. The past nine months had done nothing but reassure her that this was really it. There was no use in running away, in trying to deny it.
Ross was the one.
And now the timing was right, she was ready. They were both ready. They never let the small things bother them anymore. They were honest. They were there for each other despite anything.
Through the good and the bad.
And it wasn't a ring that was supposed to confirm that. Marriage had not been discussed many times by them, though it had been hinted countlessly by their friends. She simply didn't want to rush. But then again she couldn't exactly say she'd deny him anything if he eventually came to ask her...! They'd been living together for six months already and things just seemed to get better each second.
It didn't seem possible that she could ever feel happier. But she was willing to take the challenge.
She giggled in Ross' arms. He smiled wider and kissed her neck vigorously.
"Oh, no, Mister" she pushed him away lightly, still smiling. "You know about my thing today. No marks!"
His lips traveled lower.
"Oh yeah? How about here?"
Rachel squealed as quietly as she could and inhaled deeply.
"Hmm, there it's okay"
As he continued to work on her, Rachel closed her eyes and stroked his hair. She couldn't believe how much she loved that man. How lucky she was. Ross was probably not everything she'd ever expected in a man, but he was definitely everything she needed. He was sweet, smart, caring, sexy... and such a decent guy. And he also loved her so much. She loved the way he made her feel, the complicity they shared. They were in to share their lives with one another. She'd never felt safer before.
Rachel moaned. God, he was good at this. Added up to all the things listed above, he was also a terrific lover. The best she'd ever had. She opened her eyes to see the look of satisfaction on his face as to the way he was making her feel.
Both came to climax just in time for them to get ready to start their new day. So, maybe they had to rush their way in bed to do so, to be in time. It seemed like they couldn't afford to be irresponsible anymore. And that was okay. They had other things to deal with, which didn't mean they had new priorities. Well... just one: little girl Emma Geller Green, who would soon wake to her big day.
They understood.
After snagging some food from the tray, Rachel hopped into the shower and Ross went to wake Emma.
He entered the room they had completely transformed a few months before to suit her and Ben on the few occasions he came over to spend the weekend. The walls were mostly white, but shades of lilac broke the immaculate clarity. Shelves filled the walls, bearing books and toys. Two beds rested against opposite walls, separated by a light wooden bedside table. On it, a portrait of the family laid. Ross smiled at it. One bed was big and had a white comforter. It was empty. The other was little and Ross noticed just how softly the purple blankets rose and fell with Emma's rhythmic breathing.
He approached and admired the two and a half years old infant for a few minutes. Their beautiful baby girl had grown up so much. Her honey colored hair was almost shoulder length. Her blue eyes were lightly shut and her lips adoringly pouty. She looked so calm and angelic. The sight almost fooled Ross.
Emma was energetic, so talkative. Since the boom of her vocabulary skills, the toddler never seemed to measure words. She talked and played and made friends easily, bringing joy wherever she went. The house always seemed very full, and yet for the past couple of months all she could talk about was getting a baby brother or sister to play with.
Ross smiled at the thought. He would give that little girl the moon if she asked him to. Though he didn't intend to spoil Emma, she just deserved it all. She knew the importance of sharing her toys, something she picked up on her days living at Uncle Joey's. She respected all the attention the twins got, even though she loved being the center of attentions herself. And she was such a perfect tiny little version of Rachel. Ross could love her forever for that alone.
So... another child had never seemed like a bad idea. Oh, he and Rachel made such beautiful children together. It just seemed like such a waste. And he was certainly not one to appreciate waste.
He chuckled out loud at the memory those words evoked.
"Emma? Sweetie, time to wake up"
The little girl stirred.
"C'mon, baby girl, let's have breakfast. Daddy's gonna make you pancakes. With chocolate chips and everything"
He kissed the top of her head and picked her up. So much like Rachel indeed. Emma hugged her daddy back, not bothering to open her eyes.
Ross walked to the living room and set her down on the couch. Then he proceeded to the t.v. and turned it on in the Cartoon Network channel. Sure enough it didn't take too long for Emma to open her eyes. Ross smiled at himself and looked around. His apartment looked much better with his two little angels filling it once again.
Rachel stepped out of the shower and got dressed. Nothing too formal, she wouldn't be exactly working that day anyway. She felt the light smell of fresh pancakes and smiled. She retrieved the tray from their room and entered the kitchen.
"Fresh pancakes for Emma?"
"Hey, whose fault is it that yours were cold?"
"I'm not really complaining, you know..."
She hugged him from behind and kissed his neck.
"What time are you leaving?" she asked.
"Soon. Just gonna finish these and shower"
"What time are you coming to my thing?"
"It starts at six, right?"
"Yeah, but you know how Emma will be all fussy and I wanna take all the pictures before that, so if you could be there around 5:30 that would be great!"
Ross smiled at her.
"I'll do my best"
Rachel thanked him with a kiss and looked at the pan.
"Heart shaped?"
"Well, she's my little Valentine too"
He set Emma's breakfast down on the table.
"Emma, your breakfast's ready" Rachel called out as Ross silently left the kitchen. Emma came in and hopped on the chair, rubbing her eyes. "You ready for today?"
Emma nodded, a smile curling up on the sides of her innocent face.
"Happy Valentine's day"
Rachel turned and saw Ross sneaking back holding two cards. He handed one to her and one to little Emma.
Emma smiled.
"What is it, daddy?"
"It's a Valentine card to my two valentines!"
"I'm your Valentine, daddy?"
"You and mommy are, sweetie"
Ross turned to look at Rachel. She had an amused smile on her face.
"What is this, the 4th grade?"
He shot her a playful look. She kissed him.
"Thank you, sweetie"
"Thank you daddy!"
Emma hugged Ross. On the process, she knocked down the doll she had been holding. Ross finally noticed it.
"Er... Rach, can I talk to you for just a sec?"
She confusedly looked at him.
"Sure"
They went to a corner of the kitchen, still keeping an eye on Emma, but with their voices low.
"Isn't that the doll we agreed we weren't gonna buy to her 'cause it was too expensive?" he began.
He noticed as Rachel shifted her weight, uncomfortable.
"Yeah, hm, daddy gave it to her"
"What?"
"He paid, Ross, what's the big deal?"
"It's not the money, Rachel. I can afford it too, I just thought we were doing that for other reasons"
"Ross, she was right there, there was nothing I could do! I wasn't gonna take it away from her now was I?"
"Didn't he give her that dollhouse just last month?"
"Your point is...?"
Ross looked at her, not wanting to go on with his speech.
"Ross, your parents give her a lot of presents too. Since when is that a big deal?"
"Such expensive gifts, Rach? I thought we were gonna have some bound rules here, we don't want to spoil her, right?"
"Like the way I was spoiled?"
She crossed her arms and stared at him.
"No, Rach, look... OK, fine. We're not gonna argue over this today"
She looked down and sighed, uncrossing her arms.
"I just don't see what's the big deal, Ross. She's a good kid, you know she's, surprisingly, not spoiled."
He just looked at her.
"Yeah, OK, you're right"
She gently grabbed his hand.
"Hm, you should know he's coming tonight"
"What?"
"He's coming to see Emma"
"Since when did he get so in touch with his granddaughter, Rach?"
"Isn't this a good thing?"
He sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, I suppose. But... the guy hates me"
"I thought we'd worked past this, Ross..."
"Are you kidding me? Ever since you decided to stay instead of going to Paris, things just got worse"
She held his hand tighter.
"It's just for a couple of hours, sweetie. He's gonna be there for Emma, that's all"
"Yeah, ok"
She smiled weakly and hugged him tenderly.
"I'll make it up to you later" she whispered into his ear.
He couldn't help but smile back, she always won him over.
"I'm gonna remember that, you know" he pulled her closer, holding her by her waist.
"Oh, you better"
He admired her for a few seconds. Those moments when he truly realized what was going on were surreal.
Rachel Green... living in his apartment... kissing or even arguing with him in his kitchen while their baby girl had breakfast within eyeshot.
Life was great. And if it was up to him, it was only about to get better. He leaned closer and kissed her, his thoughts drifting to the perfect ring that had patiently waited for so long buried somewhere within his drawers. It now anxiously waited in his suit pocket. Recently polished, it shone brightly every time Ross glared at it and wondered when the perfect moment would arrive.
The waiting days were over.
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