A/N:

Boris Yeltsin – Phoebe and Joey will be cropping up more and more throughout this story but I'm afraid Ross doesn't take part too much. He'll be playing bigger roles in some other stories I have planned, however. Thanks for reviewing!

SomewhereBeyondReality – Thank you for the review and I hope I can keep your interest of this story.

freddyfresse14 – I'm so glad you enjoy my writing; that's comforting to know. Also, thank you for dropping a story idea for me – I have written it (The One Where They Fight) and I hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave or pm me any more ideas :)

matteney – Rachel can be quite mean in this story but her character will develop, not to worry. I'm glad you liked my "admiring" metaphor – I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of this story.

Mondler2017 – I love that you always leave long reviews – they're always very thoughtful, so thank you! I'm glad my writing makes you feel 'on cloud nine' and I'll try my best to continue that feeling! Oh, and don't be disappointed about the no kissing part – some of that actions going to happen soon.

Guest – I'm glad you're enjoying this, thank you for the review!

CamilleCM – Yay, I'm glad you liked the birthday section, it was my favourite part to write. Thank you for the review :) means a lot!

Thank you all for the lovely reviews, please keep providing me with feedback and any ideas you may have for stories or even something you want to see happen in this story (if I can squeeze it in).

Also, I'm not sure how Spring Break works in America (all I know is it falls in Feb, March or April) so I just picked April for this story so it can fall around Monica's birthday.

WARNING: May contain mild sexual references/content/scenes of that nature.

"So then, he comes out of the closet covered in curry sauce, and," her breath caught as she continued to laugh, "everyone starts laughing and our teacher tells us to be quiet, but then he," she snorted, "he opens the bread and dips it into this poor guy's curry-covered hair and eats it."

"Sounds like an eventful class," laughed Chandler and sipped his coffee.

They sat outside a small upper Manhattan café, drinking and laughing. They had been on spring break since a few days after Chandler's birthday and had spent every day together; either in Central Park, his mother's house, sitting outside this same café or shopping. Chandler normally hating shopping but when he got to use it as an excuse to spend time with Monica, he discovered he didn't mind it.

The sun was blaring so Monica was wearing her sunglasses, much to Chandler's vexation as he couldn't look into her eyes as they spoke. Though, he knew he wouldn't be able to do that even if she wasn't wearing her glasses as he had to squint hard to keep the light out of his eyes; he hadn't been as prepared as her and cursed himself for it.

He watched the condensation of her cold Lemonade drip slowly down the tall glass. His slightly blurred gaze moved up to her fingers that played with the straw; the ice cubes in the glass clashing together.

"Chandler?"

"Hmm?"

His eyes met her amused face and she leaned over the small table, lightly brushing the back of her index finger over his eyebrow, "We have got to buy you some sunglasses," she chuckled and sat back in her chair, sipping the Lemonade.

He smiled, nodding, and returned to watching her. She looked at the city around her as she crossed her legs, leaning further into her chair and playing with the straw of her drink again.

"That culinary fare you told me about," he started, making her look at him, "Connecticut or New Jersey?"

"There's one in both places."

"Which would you rather go to, now?"

She shrugged and looked back to the street, "Connecticut, I guess."

"Well," he said and she looked back at him again, this time over her sunglasses, "What if I take you? Like, for a few days. As a birthday present."

She stayed silent for a moment, continuing to look at him and he suddenly grew self-conscious, much like he had after first asking her out on a date and she had stared at him.

"I… I don't know, Chandler. I don't think so."

"Oh," he felt his stomach drop, "Oh, no big deal," he started to sweat and felt his breathing shallow, "Dumb idea," he tried to laugh off his discomfort.

A smirk crawled over her lips and his eyebrows fell in confusion.

"Chandler, I'm joking! I'd love to go with you!" she laughed.

"That was cruel," he frowned, pointing a finger at her.

"Oh, come on, it amused me."

He rolled his eyes and drank his coffee, "Are you sure you don't mind taking me?" she asked as she watched him.

"I don't know, it was pretty mean what you just did," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and kicked him lightly under the table.

"I'd love to take you," he smiled and felt his anxiety levels dropping, "When would you like to go?"

"Well, it doesn't start till the 21st."

"Day before your birthday, then. Brilliant! We can head to Connecticut on the 20th, get a hotel room and all settled in, swing it at the fare on the 21st then do something fun there on your birthday too."

"How will we get there?"

"I have my license, I could borrow my mom's car and drive us there. I know the train tickets don't cost much but it means we can have nice little road trip."

She put her sunglasses on the top of her head so she could see him better and he was grateful to see her sparkling blue eyes. She thanked him and leaned over the table to kiss him on the cheek.

The days passed by swiftly and it was finally the day of Chandler and Monica's trip. Monica had packed what Chandler thoughts looked like a week's worth of clothing in comparison to his two shirts and essentials. He loaded her case and bag into the trunk of his mom's car along with his own, "Want to grab some snacks on the way?"

"Uh, duh," scoffed Monica, light-heartedly, and got in the car.

They bought candy bars, chips, popcorn, essentially anything they could get their hands on in the store and continued on their journey. They talked and laughed and Chandler complained about Monica's bad taste in radio as they drove. Chandler enjoyed himself on the few hours it took to get to the hotel in Connecticut and couldn't tear the smile from his face.

"I'm going to unload the bags; do you want to head in and book us a room?" he asked, once they were at the trunk of the car.

Monica nodded, took his credit card from him and walked away. He smiled to himself as he threw his bag over his shoulder, he was getting the hang of this whole 'staying calm' thing Monica was teaching him. She'd spent the time since their first date working on his nerves. She'd taught him how to control his breathing when he started to panic, how to handle his sweating, and how to live life properly; to not care what people think. He was still working on those last two parts but her, what he called 'tutoring', was going well.

"It's booked," Monica's wide smile beamed at him as he entered the lobby and she handed him the key for the room and his credit card. He mimicked her smile, and they walked down the long hallways. The hotel seemed to form more and more into a maze as they walked and Chandler felt himself getting hot. However, he didn't know if it was the walking or the idea of being in a room with Monica, and Monica only, for three whole days, that was setting him on fire. Perhaps, he thought, it was both.

"I need a shower, I smell so bad," cringed Chandler making Monica laugh once they reached their room.

"You just smell like boy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just, you know, boy," she shrugged and he smiled, shaking his head. He opened the hotel door and let her enter first. When he closed the door and turned, his eyes fell straight on to the Queen size bed.

"That's okay, right?" he heard Monica's voice from behind him and turned to see her standing in the doorway of the en suite.

"Y-yeah, it's great – uh – good, yeah, it's good," he stammered.

"Just, we've shared a bed before so I figured…" they had indeed shared a bed, but for some reason, the idea of it happening again made Chandler weak at the knees.

"No, yeah, it's great. More than great."

"Good," Monica smiled back, "Coz you make a very comfy pillow," she laughed and approached him, "Hungry?"

"Starving," he flung his head back, dramatically.

Monica laughed and told him she'd order room service while he showered.

Once in the bathroom, he got into a cold shower, sighing with satisfaction as the water cooled his nerves and the sudden adrenaline rush he had felt when he'd gotten to the hotel. He scrubbed his hair with a towel, and pulled on his fresh clothes. The mirror above the sink allowed him to examine his face for any signs of nervousness showing before exiting the bathroom with the all clear.

He and Monica spent the rest of the day and night eating room service food, watching terrible movies on rental and sleeping holding each other.

It was there second night in their hotel room now and they were both shattered from the long day at the culinary fare so decided to sit in bed and watch the tv for the rest of the evening. Monica had been ecstatic when they'd gotten to the fare and Chandler, though culinary fares weren't really his thing, had loved every single second of watching Monica in her zone. The only thing Chandler loved even more about the day was spending moments with Monica where they were quiet and he could sit close to her and hold her, like they were doing at that moment. Despite enjoying watching the movie with Monica, he also had something digging through the back of his mind.

"Hey, Mon," he said, and rather than look at him, she continued to watch the tv but nodded, "Remember last year, I came to your house and your parents said something about you getting in trouble, what was that about? Like, I know you, apparently, don't have the greatest of reputations but I don't understand why."

Monica looked down to her hands that held popcorn and suddenly felt sick. She used the popcorn as a comforter, something to play with, as she thought of what to say.

"Uhm, well, uhm," she tucked her hair behind her ear, "well, remember how I used to be fat?"

Chandler stiffened, not knowing whether he was allowed to nod or not, but Monica took his silence as confirmation.

"Well, after I lost all that weight, I… well, I, I started hanging out with these people who… weren't the best role models," she continued to pick at the popcorn, "they taught me to stand up for myself when people were mean to me… but not exactly in the most ethical or strategic way… and, one day, I sort of, got in a fight with this girl."

Chandler rubbed her back to comfort her and she carried on, "She'd been calling me names and so I just… I attacked her. I just kept hitting her until I got pulled off her."

"Then after, I realised I'd made a huge mistake. I'd acted like this horrible person for so long and it wasn't who I really was. I was just bitter because of… stuff certain people said about me and I didn't find the right way to deal with it until it was too late. So, I apologised to the girl and… we're okay now."

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think you're a horrible person… and I'm sorry for bringing this up."

"No, no, don't be. It's good we've talked about it, actually. And, though it was a horrible thing that I did, it made me understand myself and made me realise I was going the complete wrong way about things," she wiped away the small tear that had managed to escape her eye, "I saw the error of my ways and I made a vow to myself that I would stop being bitter, stop caring about what people said about me and to just help others. I don't ever want anyone to feel the level of hate I felt for myself when people would call me names," she sighed, "I just try my best now to cover my negatives with my positives."

"Optimistic over pessimistic, always the best way to view life," he nudged her and smiled, "You want a cuddle, don't you?" he teased and she rolled her eyes, "Come here, come on, get yourself some of the Chan-love while it's on offer."

She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand, laughing, and leaned into his open arms, wrapping hers around his waist, firmly. "Chan-love?" her voice came out muffled in his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, nothing better than a bit of loving from good-old Chandler – the Chan-Chan-Man!"

He felt her upper body moving as she laughed, and her warm breath on his neck as he embraced her. He took a chance and kissed her on her shoulder then her neck. His mind started to race with panic as she moved out of his arms slightly. Her hands moved from his waist to his shoulders, which she held onto with a tight grip. Then something Chandler never thought might happen, happened; she kissed him.

Her lips were pressed firm against his and he wobbled back on the bed. He used his arm to prop himself up and she pulled away from him. His eyes were wide and his heart was racing. She looked from his lips to his eyes, seeking some sort of sign as to how he felt. Chandler's hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers gliding through her hair, as he pressed her lips to his. Their eyes lingered on each other's for a second before they closed them and he lay back completely on the bed, taking her with him.

Her body was pushed up against his side, her leg over his and her hands on either side of his face as they continued to kiss. Their breathing became jagged but they refused to let go of one another. He edged his fingers over her hip, bringing her ever-so-slightly more on top of him. She moaned into the kiss, causing delicate vibrations over Chandler's lips that sent shivers through him and made his blood run south. Monica ran her finger along his jawline, then flattened her hand and traced it over his chest. Her hand reached his belt and it was then that they stopped kissing to look at each other.

"That escalated quickly," he jested, breathlessly.

"Mmm," hummed Monica and rested her forehead on his.

Chandler felt his excitement blend with his nerves as he thought about Monica's hand on his belt. She was so very close to his most intimate area and he was both thrilled and terrified. He was scared she would notice just how excited he was but felt too nervous to move.

"Took us a while to kiss," she kept her eyes on his lips, "how steady should we go?"

Chandler gulped, "H-how steady do you want to go?"

He watched her lips curl upwards and felt the hand that was on his shoulder move to comb through his hair.

"I'm okay with… well, with maybe going… not so steady."

Once more, Chandler gulped and released a shaky breath, "Same here."

With that, Monica's lips met his again in a gentle and brief kiss. She sat up and her lust filled eyes focused on his belt. Chandler watched as she began to unbuckle it, he could see she was as nervous as he was as her fingers trembled. He placed his hand over hers, stopping her, and sat up. He ran the back of his finger down her cheek then kissed where he had traced her face; his lips following his finger. He was going to take the lead for a while, watching someone who was usually so confident turn anxious made him suddenly feel poised.

His finger traced over her jawline, her neck, her collar bones; his lips following close behind. Her hands clasped his shoulders and she sighed, contently. Their lips met and his fumbled at the bottom of her top. He looked into her eyes briefly asking permission which she quickly granted and he lifted her top over her head. His hands immediately held her sides, his mildly cold fingers making her shiver. His eyes focused on her face until she put her forehead against his shoulder with a sigh.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he rubbed her back and she clung to him.

"Just… just nervous is all. Nobody's really seen me… this vulnerable before."

Chandler's eyes closed and he kissed her lovingly on her bare shoulder.

"Ditto," he said and she moved back to look at him. He gave her his boyish smirk which she had grown to love recently and she smiled back.

Her hands moved tentatively down his chest and to the bottom of his shirt. He helped her remove it and she placed her hands on to his now bare chest and gulped. She watched her hands as she moved them up and down over his chest and shoulders.

"It's okay to be nervous," he smiled, "I, of all people, understand that feeling."

She bit her lip, nodding and sliding her hands down his chest and to his belt. This time she successfully unbuckled it and then focused on trying to unbutton his jeans. He nudged her shoulder with his hand indicating she should lie down, so she did. He took a breath, stood up and unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped the fly and pulled them to his ankles. He stepped out of them and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's only fair," he teased as he reached for her jeans. She laughed and he unbuttoned them, with her arching herself up so he could pull them down and throw them on to the floor. He lay next to her, and placed his hand on her stomach. His hands had started to sweat from the combination of adrenaline and nerves but he found himself unfazed by this. He was more concerned about how nervous Monica was. She was shaking from head-to-toe still, it was less than before but it was still noticeable.

"We're safe together," he assured her, "I'll look after you, I promise."

She leaned up, kissing him harder than she had since the first kiss and pulled him flush against her. It was his turn to moan when he felt her heel press into his calf. His hair became ruffled as she raked her hands through it; he could feel her confidence building back up. His spine tingled when she snaked her fingers along it and he hummed into their kiss when she tugged at his boxers. Her foot moved up his leg and over his buttocks as they kissed vigorously.

"Under the covers?" he asked and she nodded.

They climbed under the covers and pulled off the rest of their own clothing.

"Wait," Chandler interrupted their kissing again, "we don't have a condom… I didn't really see this coming."

"It's fine, I'll go to a Pharmacists tomorrow and get the morning-after-pill."

"Are-are you sure?"

Monica nodded and pulled him, by his hand, to on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they continued their kissing. Moments later and they had started moving together, caressing each other lovingly as they took uneven breaths and whispered each other's names. She tugged at his hair, his face tucked into her neck and shoulder as he moved with more vigour. Her legs were wrapped around his waist as she rocked with him, establishing a rhythm. Then, with a grunt and a hard push, he collapsed on top of her, hearing her call out his name at the same time. His face stayed tucked in her neck as he panted, his hot breath caressing her skin. She held him to her, stroking his hair and kissing his shoulder; his hand clasped the pillow under her head.

"So that's Chan-love, huh?" she teased and felt him laugh against her, "God, was it worth the wait," she sighed, happily, and kissed his shoulder again.