I do not own friends/actors/characters, but if I had Matt Perry's ID card, I would press his and mine together and make them kiss...hey, if Rachel can do it then so can I!
Joey hadn't spoken for a while, and that realisation worried Chandler more than it should have.
He knew that Joey could go a while without speaking, hours even, but a niggling thought, hidden in the depths of his subconsciousness, couldn't stop Chandler from thinking something was amiss.
Opening his eyes sleepily, he glanced up to see if his lover was still awake, and found Joey staring blankly in the distance, one finger lazily running up and down Chandler's bare arm, and Chandler wondered how the hell he could have missed that.
"Joe?"
"Hmm?"
"What's up, big guy?"
The old nickname caused Joey to smirk, and Chandler was glad he still had the ability to make him smile.
"Big guy?"
"It felt like a big guy moment," Chandler insisted.
"It always does, baby…if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, maybe in your made up land of crazy where you are the Lord of Sexual…I forget what, but can I come to that kingdom?"
Joey smiled lazily, his finger halting briefly before picking up speed once more, and Chandler spotted a hint of sadness in his best friend's eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Joey answered in an insistent tone and Chandler almost raised his hands in defence.
" Okay…you just seen distracted."
"I'm thinkin'."
"Well, that makes a bit of a chan-"
"Don't even say it," Joey warned playfully, and Chandler smiled.
"I wouldn't dream of making fun of your intelligence, Joe."
"Yeah…right."
Chandler watched Joey carefully, sensing the undertone of his best friend's words.
"Joe, I never mean anything…I mean, I'm just joking when I say stuff like that, y'know? Just like you don't mean anything when you go on about my lack of female attention…you don't mean anything when you go on about my lack of female attention, do-"
"No…maybe, but it's true, ain't it? I mean, you're here with me, so…y'know?"
"Yeah…no! Are you saying I couldn't get the majority of females out there to go out with me?"
"It depends."
"On?"
"On how many jokes you make about my smartness and stuff."
Chandler sniggered, shaking his head in the crook of Joey's neck. "Touché, Mr. Tribbiani."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. They're all just jokes."
"…I know."
Chandler bit his lip, nodding to himself before snuggling back down under the sheets. "So, what are you thinking about?"
"Stuff."
"Ah, stuff, the question and answer to all of life's mysteries." Joey frowned at the comment, and Chandler didn't blame him. It hadn't really made sense. "What sort of stuff? Life, love…sandwiches?"
"Yeah," Joey answered ambiguously and Chandler paused, sensing that he wasn't going to get a straight answer from his lover that night.
"Alrighty then. Well, I'm gonna go to sleep, you continue with…that."
"Sure."
Chandler nodded again, then leaned up and kissed Joey on the corner of his mouth. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Joey answered softly, his fingers slowing down on Chandler's arm as his lover settled back down under the covers, eyes already sliding shut. Joey paused, waiting a moment before continuing. "But I don't think I can do this anymore."
"What?" Chandler's muffled voice asked tiredly.
"This…u-us."
Chandler's eyes flew open and for once in his life, he was speechless.