Chandler sat by the large window in his and Monica's apartment. He softly grazed his fingers along the cold glass. His heart felt hard in his chest. He looked out the window to the apartment across the street and saw Ross making dinner. He envied Ross in someways. He knew that it was inevitable; Ross was going to end up with Rachel. He knew that, Monica knew that and deep down, Ross knew that. Chandler sighed; he wished it was that easy for him.
"Honey?" Monica asked, leaning against the doorframe to their room. Chandler glanced at his scantily clad fiancée. Time for structured sex, oh the joys of life. He sighed and got up. He saw Ross glance over from his apartment and give him a highly inappropriate thumb up. Chandler raised his eyebrows and turned back to Monica.
"Coming honey," Time to fake a smile and make this work. With that, following Monica into their bedroom, discarding his shirt on the way.
It was about 1 AM by the time Monica had finished with Chandler and fell asleep. Little did she know, Chandler snuck out of bed, slept on the couch all-night and snuck back in the morning before she woke up. It wasn't like Chandler didn't love his fiancée. Of course he did, he wouldn't have proposed if he didn't. Would he? No, he decided, he wouldn't have. Chandler rested his head against the arm of the sofa and sighed. He couldn't help it if his thoughts kept straying across the hall, to the man Chandler had basically taken care of for the past seven years, to Joey. If only he could go back two years and not have slept with Monica in London. Chandler shook his head violently. No. No. Monica had his heart. Didn't she? He sighed. No, she didn't. But he knew that if he broke Monica's heart, he'd be cutting the cords to all his friendships. Rachel, Phoebe, Ross. Especially Ross. And Joey. Well, Joey would be the most forgiving. No. That's just what he wanted to think. He wanted to think that Joey would forgive him, because that's who he would be breaking Monica's heart for. He leaned his head back and let his eyelids flutter over his eyes. Picturing the life he could have had. No, not could have had, the life he wanted.
Chandler was half asleep when the door burst open to reveal a slightly out of breath Joey.
"Ch-Chandler!"
"What in the god damn hell are you doing here Joey!?" Chandler whispered, a little panicked. "And why don't we ever lock the damn door?
"I-I think m-my dates gonna k-kill me" Joey panted grabbing his sides. Chandler's eyes shot open.
"Huh?" Chandler gasped.
"K-knife, she she tied me-" Joey paused, "Why are you sleeping on the couch?"
"I- uh me and Monica had a fight." He lied smoothly examining Joey's calm expression. "Uh Joe? The murderer?"
"Oh yeah!" he got tense again. "She had a knife!" Joey sat down beside him, a little too close in Chandler's opinion, but Joey didn't think anything of it. He and Chandler had always been a little too close.
"So what about Rachel?" Chandler managed to ask, not totally believing the whole story.
"Oh she's out tonight." Joey said in a nonchalant manner.
"Joe- did you make up this date to get some food from our fridge?"
"No!" Joey said defensively, "Okay maybe a little. But I did have a date.. Katelynn? No, Madison. No, Julia."
"Doesn't matter," Chandler sighed, "Take what you like Joe. It doesn't matter." Chandler sighed again and slouched back into the couch. Like he could deny Joey anything he wanted. Joey smiled that small smile reserved only for Chandler.
"Thanks man." Joey turned to walk into the kitchen. "Chandler?" Chandler turned his head over the back of the couch.
"Yeah Joe?"
"You're the best." He tried to hug Chandler over the back of the couch but fell over the back and landed with a smack on the floor. He landed hard enough to wake up Mr. Heckles, and he was dead so naturally Monica appeared in the doorway.
"What's going on?" She muttered, looking at Joey on the floor and Chandler on the couch.
"Uh- um. I called Joey over because I couldn't sleep and he was just about to leave and he tripped and fell." Monica rolled her eyes and demanded Joey leave the apartment. Joey hesitated, knowing Chandler was taking the rap for him and opened his mouth to argue but was silenced by the look on his friends face that blatantly said, 'ignore it and leave.' So he did.
Once Joey had left and he had insisted that he sleep on the couch because he wasn't feeling good, Monica went back to bed and Chandler was left alone with his thoughts. Or thought in this case.
He knew he couldn't leave Monica. Monica was safe. With Monica, he knew he had a future. No matter how hard he falls for his best friend, the guy across the hall, it's not like anything would ever happen. Joey was straighter than a board, and Chandler, wasn't so sure anymore. No matter how he felt about Joey, he could never leave Monica. Monica was Chandler's future, in love or not, because he knew, even if he didn't love Monica, they've been friends for too long for Chandler to hurt her. And by hurting Monica he would hurt Ross, and Rachel, Phoebe and of course, Joey. And he wouldn't do anything to hurt Joey, ever. He knew that Joey had his heart, he knew that he always would, but he knew that he had to stay with Monica, because life wasn't just that fair.
--
Joey closed the door to his apartment greeted by his date. Rebecca, he had decided her name was. He had told her that he needed a shower before he went to bed. She rolled her eyes and went back into the bedroom. Joey turned on the tap and sat at the edge of the bathtub. His chest felt heavy and his palms were sweaty. He needed to stop making up excuses to see Chandler in the middle of the night because this was getting ridiculous. He sighed. Monica had Chandler. Chandler was his best friend. He was just Joey, the guy who slept with more women than he could count. His stomach churned at the thought. This lifestyle was all Joey knew, but since he'd started feeling differently about Chandler, he'd second-guessed his whole life. He put his face in his hands. He needed to get over this, he was ordaining their wedding. He whispered "I love you, Chandler." Before moving on from this passage in his life.
-- Six Years Later --
Chandler sat on his leather recliner bouncing Erica on his knee while Jack played on the floor with Duck Jr. He liked Duck Jr. better than Chick Jr. because he could play with the duck in the bathtub. Chandler chuckled to himself, he loved his children, so much. The door opened to the familiar apartment and Rachel, Ross and Emma walked in. Emma was starting school this year. Erica saw her cousin walk in the door and went straight for her blabbing about a new toy Joey had bought her at the market that morning. Ross and Rachel went to sit by Chandler.
"So, how are you?"
"I'm- okay." Rachel smiled and rubbed his shoulder.
It had been three years to the day since Monica had left him. Richard had came back into her life and Chandler had been kicked out as a result. Not that Chandler particularly minded, It was better than him leaving her. He took a deep breath and looked around. This had always been Joey and Chandler's apartment. It hadn't changed in the fifteen years that they'd lived here. Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey had sympathized with Chandler after Monica left him. Joey had promptly offered him his room back and hasn't spoken to Monica since. Phoebe and Rachel still talk to Monica periodically and Ross only sees her at family events. Chandler only speaks to her with the passing off of Jack and Erica every other weekend. It hadn't been a messy divorce, no custody battle. Monica was a mom, Chandler couldn't take that away from her. He felt his heart stammer, he hated being in love with two people.
Joey walked out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. He looked over to Chandler with a shy smile before noticing Ross, Rachel and Emma. He stuttered and made up a date that he was getting ready for while Chandler rolled his eyes. Joey hadn't been on a date in three years.
Chandler and Joey had been together for the better part of three years. Jack's first word was 'daddy' to Joey. Erica told Chandler and Joey that they were better than her other daddy. That had made Chandler's fist clench. He had had to calmly explain that she shouldn't call Richard daddy, because Richard wasn't her daddy. Nobody else knew about Chandler and Joey. Not even Rachel, who lived with them for a year before finally marrying Ross. Like Chandler had thought, inevitable. Chandler should have known then that he and Joey were inevitable too. But he was glad, because if he had of left Monica six years ago, he wouldn't have had his two children, who smiled fondly at him from the floor. He smiled back and looked at Joey adoringly. Joey returned the glance nervously and walked into his room to get dressed. Today was also the day that he and Joey were going to tell the gang. As that thought crossed his mind, Phoebe and Mike entered the apartment. Phoebe maneuvered her pregnant belly around the door and Mike followed in tow.
"So what's the news!?" She exclaimed after sitting on the long brown couch on the opposite end of the room. Joey's head came poking out of the door.
"Oh hey Pheebs." He smiled.
"Yeah Chandler, come on, tell us!" Rachel squealed.
"Well, it's partly Joey's news too, so we have to wait for him." Chandler stalled. He was absolutely terrified of telling his friends about his relationship with Joey. Shocked that he could still call them his friends after the whole Monica fiasco. He thought this may make them take Monica's side after all.
He let his hand fall to the side and his fingertips graze the little blue box in his pocket, carrying a ring. He figured, what a better place to propose than in front of anyone who means anything to them.
"They're our friends," Joey had reasoned, "They'll love us anyway." Chandler knew he was right, he was just never the guy who would take a chance.
Joey came out of his room- well; their room now, not to anyone else's knowledge but their own. He had a huge smile on his face. Joey came and sat on the edge of Chandler's recliner. He looked at Chandler and mouthed 'I love you' before turning to face their friends. Before either of them could open their mouths Phoebe jumped up,
"Oh! Oh! They're together!"
Everyone muttered different versions of 'yeah whatever', used to Phoebe's eccentric assumptions. Joey looked at Chandler hesitantly and grabbed his hand.
"Well, yeah basically." Joey smiled and leant over Chandler's limp frame to place a kiss at the corner of his mouth. He looked back at the appalled faces of his friends.
"Joey- you're not gay." Ross managed to get out. Chandler was used to the gay jokes being aimed at him, so it didn't really bother him.
"Well, yeah. I am." Joey said confidently giving Chandler's hand a squeeze.
"Duh!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Are you guys totally blind? They've been together for years." Joey and Chandler looked at her blankly.
"H-How long?" Rachel muttered.
"Um, about two and a half years."
"Oh." They sat there in silence while their friends took it in.
"Congratulations." Ross smiled weakly patting Chandler on the shoulder.
"Oh yeah! That's great for you guys." Rachel smiled. Mike didn't say much. He never really did.
"Yeah." Now it was Chandler's turn to get anxious. "Um, okay. I want to do this as romantically as possible." Joey looked confused- well when didn't Joey look confused. The other four looked interested. Chandler turned his whole body to face Joey.
"Joey. Joey." He sighed, "I love you, so much. I mean I- always have." Chandler was too caught up in his emotions to notice the door open. In fact, nobody did. "It's- It's always been you Joe, you know that. It was inevitable. I mean, I loved Monica, and I love my kids." He glanced over to where Jack and Erica were sitting with Emma. "But I love you now, and I never want to let you down." Chandler pulled the little bluish black box from his pocket and whispered, "Joey Tribbiani- Will you marry me?" A chorus of 'Awws' erupted from their friends. Joey looked at Chandler with a tear running down the side of his face.
"Of course." He whispered, taking the ring and putting it on his finger. "But Chandler, you know, since you usually bottom, shouldn't I be the one proposing to you." Chandler blushed a deep red and sank back into the chair while their friends laughed it off. Joey kissed him passionately, which made him go a deeper red. That's when they heard the sharp sob from the doorway. Everyone turned his or her head to see Monica standing by the door. Joey scowled, Ross looked torn, Rachel and Phoebe looked concerned and Jack and Erica didn't notice.
"Mo-Monica?" Chandler gasped.
"I-I'm sorry, I should have knocked."
"No, uh it's okay." There was an awkward pause. Monica walked the few steps forward and wrapped her arms around her ex-husband's shoulders.
"Congratulations." She smiled. Chandler looked shocked, he and Monica had barely passed a few words between the last three years but now, looking down at her tear stricken face, he knew that the comradeship was still there. Ross was the next to speak.
"Monica? Are you okay?"
"Yeah," She muttered. "I'm really happy for you guys. I mean, the speech and…" she looked around the room. "I really missed you guys." Rachel's face softened and she walked over and gave Monica a hug.
"I think this is the way it was supposed to be." Chandler spoke softly.
"I know it was." Monica smiled and looked at her former friends. "I'm sorry Chandler, I am." She looked at him the way she did before she had said, 'you'll always be the guy who peed on me,' all those years ago.
"I actually came here to apologize to all of you." She looked around the room, her eyes landing on Joey, who hadn't moved since he noticed her presence.
"Joey, I'm sorry I hurt Chandler. But you have him now, and I know that you guys will be happy." She smiled fondly, "Please forgive me?"
He looked hesitant, but walked over to Monica and gave her a crushing hug. "Yeah, Mon. I forgive you." Three quick taps on the door signified Richard's arrival. Monica turned to her husband with a smile on her face. The first time he'd seen a smile like that since the wedding.
"Can we start over guys? Like it used to be?" She asked hopefully. Phoebe stood up for the first time and walked over and gave Monica a hug. "Yeah Monica. I forgive you too." The five friends gathered around, Joey and Chandler in the middle, with Ross, Rachel and Phoebe around them.
"Monica." This time it was Chandler's voice. He looked at Joey and smiled. "I know the preparations haven't really started yet, and it might be a little awkward," He offered a smile and continued, "But Joey and I would like to invite you- and Richard to the wedding."
"The wedding?" Richard asked.
"Yeah, Joey and Chandler are getting married." Ross spoke quietly. Monica glanced at Richard and nodded, "We'll be there." And gave a warm smile to the people she so desperately wanted to call her friends again.
-- Two Years Later --
Chandler walked into Monica's apartment. Her and Richard had sold the house in Westchester and came to live across the hall again. Chandler and Joey had been married for a little over a year now and the gang spent more time at Monica's then at their own houses. Just like it used to be. Since each apartment only had one extra room, Jack lived with Joey and Chandler and Erica lived with Monica and Richard. It wasn't awkward anymore. Actually, it was as if Monica and Chandler had never been together.
"Oh honey, I'm home." Chandler mused as he walked in to the multicolored apartment. Joey, who was sitting on the couch with Phoebe walked over and kissed Chandler romantically. Monica and Ross were fighting over a piece of cake. And Rachel was doing her hair in the bathroom.
"Oh, I was worried. Joey was here eating our food alone." Monica said sarcastically hitting Chandler in the arm with a smile.
"No, Mon, you're right. I am hungry." Chandler smirked and took the piece of cake her and Ross were arguing about and eating it in under five seconds. Joey looked disappointed.
"Ah sorry Joe, I should have saved you some hm?"
"Yeah!" He pretended to pout.
"Hey, how about I bake you a cake when we get home." Joey's eyes lit up and he said, "Really?"
"No, hey Monica, make Joey a cake for me?"
"Haha, funny Bing."
"So do I get a cake or what?" Joey said impatiently.
"Oh I'll make you one!" Rachel exclaimed.
"Uh, okay." Joey said hesitantly.
"You sure you want to do that?" Ross joked, receiving a dirty glare from Rachel. "I mean, my wife is the best cook I know. I always eat her cookies." Rachel smacked him in the arm and went to bug Joey. Chandler sat at the table beside Monica and Ross and helped himself to the fruit in the bowl.
"Do you ever stop eating?" Monica whined. " It's like you and Joey get married and you switch- no, you take on his traits."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Joey said with a smile putting his hands around Chandler's neck and putting his chin on his head. Monica didn't even wince.
"Oh, nothing Joe." Chandler amended winking at Monica and Ross while looking up to kiss his husband.
"Love you." Joey whispered.
"I know." Chandler sighed kissing Joey again and looking at their friends. Everything was the way it was supposed to be. His heart belonged to one person, and one person only, and that person is all he could have asked for in his life.