It was Christmas. Rachel had just started to get over the whole thing, but then the holidays came. She was alone, and depressed, not sure if she did the right thing. She just wanted to get over it and move on, but she missed being in love. She missed her friend.
Ross hadn't been around at all. He avoided the coffee house, Monica's apartment. They missed him, but they knew it would save a lot of awkwardness. They just hoped he'd be back once this all blew over. Rachel wanted him to come back more than anyone. She knew she would feel better once her and Ross could put the past behind them and become friends again.
Joey could hear Rachel crying in her room almost every night. And every night, she came to his room for comfort. So many nights, he told her that it was going to be okay and she would find love again someday, and so many nights he wanted to tell her that he wanted her to be in love with him, but he just couldn't. Valentine's Day.
***Valentine's Day***
"So Joe, today's Valentine's Day." Chandler hinted.
"I know." He breathed in deeply, knowing today, if he could work up the courage, would be the day that decided whether his fantasies of the last year would come true.
"What are you talking about?" Monica asked, staring curiously at the two.
"Oh, nothing." Chandler retorted, forgetting Monica was sitting next to him. He tried to sound casual, but the sleptical look Monica flashed at the nervous-looking duo suggested she wasn't buying it.
"What's going on?" She insisted.
"Well...I ummm....we....uhhhh...well...you see..." Chandler was at a loss for words, for once.
"Chandler, you might as well tell her." Joey gave in. "It won't be a secret for much longer anyway."
"What won't?" She was becoming impatient.
Chandler glanced back at Joey, who gave him a hesitant nod of affirmation. "Well, Joey has had a 'thing' for Rachel for a while now and is going to tell her today." He explained.
"Oh, my God1" She grew wide-eyed with excitement. "And, on Valentine's Day...that is so sweet!" Joey smiled at her approval. "So exactly how long is a while?" Monica inquired.
"About a year now." Chandler replied.
"A year? Why didn't you tell her?" She began to shout.
"Because she was with Ross at first and I figured it was too soon after they broke up until now." Joey chimed in, explaining for himself before Chandler could cut in. Moinca wiped a tear form her eye. They guys gave her a questioning look.
"Joey that is just so sweet and romanitc." She sighed, hoding her hand to her heart. The bells on the door of the coffee house clinked together as Rachel entered. She sat down on the couch next to the other three.
"Oh...uhhhh...Monica we have to go." Chandler stuttered, looking for an excuse to get Joey and Rachel alone together. He grabbed her by the arm as she questioned him as to why they had to leave. She wanted to stay for the good part, but Chandler dragged her out with him.
"Are they okay?" Rachel wondered why they were acting so strangely.
"Uhhh... ya I guess."Joey replied, half-heartedly, trying to go over in his mind how he would go about his. He had been waiting a year to say this, and it had to be perfect. "Rachel, we have to talk." He began, his voice cracking in apprehension. "There's no easy way to tell you this. Rachel...I think I'm in love with you." He blurted out. She looked at his in disbelief, he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Rach, it killed me to see you with Ross, but I didn't want to ruin what you two had, or ruin my friendship with either of you. I just kept all these emotions bottled up for over a year and I know it's too soon and it's not what you want, but I just couldn't keep doing this."
"Oh, Joey." She gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. "I...I don't know what to say." She said after a pause.
"You don't have to say anything. I just had to get it out." He said, and quickly got up and left before he could embarass himself anymore. He felt awful. He actually thought that might have been the start of something. As he walked out the door, he found Monica waiting outside. She had been peering in the window the whole time, after escaping Chandler's grip.
"Oh, Joey, what happened?" She asked, knowing by the expression of disappointment on his face that it didn't go well.
"Nothing really." He replied somberly.
"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry." She hugged him.
***Later That Day***
Joey walked into the coffe shop, finding Rachel stll there on the couch, seemingly deep in thought. "Rachel, hi." He sat down next to her. "I just want to tell you that what I said earlier, don't worry about it, I understand. I just don't want it to ruin our friendship. I just had to say it because no matter what I did, all I could think about was you, and I knew it would never stop until I told you. But, now it's all behind us, and I don't expect anything to happen, I just want us to be friends again." He tried to explain.
"No, Joey, I've done a lot of thinking and I..."
"Rachel!" A raspy, panting voice shouted as a man bolted through the door.
"Ross." Rachel gasped in astonishment.
Ross hadn't been around at all. He avoided the coffee house, Monica's apartment. They missed him, but they knew it would save a lot of awkwardness. They just hoped he'd be back once this all blew over. Rachel wanted him to come back more than anyone. She knew she would feel better once her and Ross could put the past behind them and become friends again.
Joey could hear Rachel crying in her room almost every night. And every night, she came to his room for comfort. So many nights, he told her that it was going to be okay and she would find love again someday, and so many nights he wanted to tell her that he wanted her to be in love with him, but he just couldn't. Valentine's Day.
***Valentine's Day***
"So Joe, today's Valentine's Day." Chandler hinted.
"I know." He breathed in deeply, knowing today, if he could work up the courage, would be the day that decided whether his fantasies of the last year would come true.
"What are you talking about?" Monica asked, staring curiously at the two.
"Oh, nothing." Chandler retorted, forgetting Monica was sitting next to him. He tried to sound casual, but the sleptical look Monica flashed at the nervous-looking duo suggested she wasn't buying it.
"What's going on?" She insisted.
"Well...I ummm....we....uhhhh...well...you see..." Chandler was at a loss for words, for once.
"Chandler, you might as well tell her." Joey gave in. "It won't be a secret for much longer anyway."
"What won't?" She was becoming impatient.
Chandler glanced back at Joey, who gave him a hesitant nod of affirmation. "Well, Joey has had a 'thing' for Rachel for a while now and is going to tell her today." He explained.
"Oh, my God1" She grew wide-eyed with excitement. "And, on Valentine's Day...that is so sweet!" Joey smiled at her approval. "So exactly how long is a while?" Monica inquired.
"About a year now." Chandler replied.
"A year? Why didn't you tell her?" She began to shout.
"Because she was with Ross at first and I figured it was too soon after they broke up until now." Joey chimed in, explaining for himself before Chandler could cut in. Moinca wiped a tear form her eye. They guys gave her a questioning look.
"Joey that is just so sweet and romanitc." She sighed, hoding her hand to her heart. The bells on the door of the coffee house clinked together as Rachel entered. She sat down on the couch next to the other three.
"Oh...uhhhh...Monica we have to go." Chandler stuttered, looking for an excuse to get Joey and Rachel alone together. He grabbed her by the arm as she questioned him as to why they had to leave. She wanted to stay for the good part, but Chandler dragged her out with him.
"Are they okay?" Rachel wondered why they were acting so strangely.
"Uhhh... ya I guess."Joey replied, half-heartedly, trying to go over in his mind how he would go about his. He had been waiting a year to say this, and it had to be perfect. "Rachel, we have to talk." He began, his voice cracking in apprehension. "There's no easy way to tell you this. Rachel...I think I'm in love with you." He blurted out. She looked at his in disbelief, he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Rach, it killed me to see you with Ross, but I didn't want to ruin what you two had, or ruin my friendship with either of you. I just kept all these emotions bottled up for over a year and I know it's too soon and it's not what you want, but I just couldn't keep doing this."
"Oh, Joey." She gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. "I...I don't know what to say." She said after a pause.
"You don't have to say anything. I just had to get it out." He said, and quickly got up and left before he could embarass himself anymore. He felt awful. He actually thought that might have been the start of something. As he walked out the door, he found Monica waiting outside. She had been peering in the window the whole time, after escaping Chandler's grip.
"Oh, Joey, what happened?" She asked, knowing by the expression of disappointment on his face that it didn't go well.
"Nothing really." He replied somberly.
"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry." She hugged him.
***Later That Day***
Joey walked into the coffe shop, finding Rachel stll there on the couch, seemingly deep in thought. "Rachel, hi." He sat down next to her. "I just want to tell you that what I said earlier, don't worry about it, I understand. I just don't want it to ruin our friendship. I just had to say it because no matter what I did, all I could think about was you, and I knew it would never stop until I told you. But, now it's all behind us, and I don't expect anything to happen, I just want us to be friends again." He tried to explain.
"No, Joey, I've done a lot of thinking and I..."
"Rachel!" A raspy, panting voice shouted as a man bolted through the door.
"Ross." Rachel gasped in astonishment.
