A.N. Back! Not as good as 2 updates in one week, but definitely not bad. I've had computer trouble, plus relatives, friends, neighbors, and people I've never met in my life floating through my house visiting baby Avery! (My oldest sister and brother-in-law, and MY NIECE J- live down the street.) Thank you all so much for the great reviews and the congratulations… can you tell I'm still a little excited? Anyway sorry I'll stop rambling… without further ado, enjoy chapter 10! And school's out next week- so hopefully more frequent updates? Or less frequent, depending on which job I take! Love ya!
Maddy.
I can't remember all the times I've tried to tell myself…
Chandler had walked Monica back from her 2:00 Art History class, and he followed her up the stairs to her room laughing as she tried to manage the steps while flipping intently over her notebook, unable to wait to see if she'd answered a question right on the test she had just taken.
She almost tripped and he steadied her. "Hey, don't walk and read, it's a hazard for those behind you," he teased.
She gave him a half smile but was obviously preoccupied. She continued to search for the answer as she fumbled with the key in the door, and he grabbed her hand.
"Hey, what's the big deal? It's just one question," he asked, trying unsuccessfully to get her to give it up.
"It's just one question I want to make sure I answered right," she said absently. "You're right, it's not a big deal, I'm just curious."
He rolled his eyes. "Curious? You're obsessive."
She gasped, and looked at him. "Take that back!"
"Got your attention," he smirked.
"I'm not obsessive, I'm thorough… there's a difference," she said defensively, her eyes already back on her notes. He gently took the books from her hands and dropped them on the floor.
"Hey…" she protested, until he lifted her chin with his index finger. Her heart rate quickened slightly and she did a quick scan of her ever-nosy hall to make sure they didn't have an audience as he leaned in and kissed her deeply, pushing her against the door. She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. He felt her lips curl into a smile as he pulled away and opened his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.
"Seventeen," she said breathlessly, continuing the kiss-counting game that had begun four days ago.
"I think that one should count twice," he said smiling.
"No cheating, mister. Only counts once."
He pressed a finger to her cheekbone and retrieved a stray eyelash, holding it out in front of her. "Make a wish," he said.
She closed her eyes quickly and blew the eyelash from his finger.
"What'd you wish for?" he asked impishly.
"Not telling," she replied with a grin over her shoulder as she unlocked the door and kicked the forgotten notebook into the room ahead of her.
"Maybe because it had something to do with me and number eighteen?" he teased.
"Like I'd waste a wish on that!"
"You mean because you know it's already coming?" he said, stepping into the doorway and giving her a little goodbye peck on the lips, which turned into more, as it always seemed to with them. She put a hand on his chest and separated them finally.
"Yup," she said, in answer to his previous question.
"See you later for dinner?"
"You got it."
"Bye," he said in that cute, almost shy way that made her stomach go into acrobatic mode every time.
"See ya," she said, giving him a small wave before shutting the door.
"So you guys are just kissing at random intervals?" Rachel clarified later in their room.
Monica considered this analysis. "Pretty much."
"And you, Monica Geller, are okay with that?"
She shrugged. "I am. I don't know, maybe it's because things with Will moved so fast and turned into such a train wreck. It's sort of a relief to just take it as it comes. Does that make any sense?"
"That's how I handle all my relationships," Rachel said assuringly.
"I was fine with it until you pointed that out," Monica teased.
"Shut up. Hey, when are you gonna tell Ross?"
"Well… I figure it's really not my responsibility. I mean, Ross and I don't exactly go around telling each other who we're making out with. Chandler should be the one who talks to him if he wants to… guys talk about that stuff, right?"
"That's convenient logic, for you. You think he will?"
"If he does I'll know he's serious. If he doesn't, I'll know its all attraction."
"Mon, the guy's already told you he loves you."
"Yeah, once after he broke up with his girlfriend- rebound, not good. And once when he was completely intoxicated- lowered inhibitions, never good."
"You really believe that?"
Monica sighed. "I don't know what I believe."
"So which do you want? Do you want him to be serious, or do you want him to just keep it fun?"
"I'd take him either way, I guess."
"Yeah, but which do you want?" Rachel pressed.
"I honestly don't know what I want. But I think I'll know when I hear it."
Rachel smiled. "Well, be careful. You don't need to be breaking any more hearts this week."
Monica glared at her sarcastically. "Shut up."
Chandler circled his small dorm room for the eightieth time, waiting for Ross to get back from science club. He knocked over another fake fossil, and carelessly placed it back on Ross's desk, once again marveling at the fact that someone he got along with so well was such an enormous geek. At dinner that night, with the girls, Chandler had realized something. He wasn't even sure the exact moment it dawned on him; he just knew that, as he walked out of the student center, he didn't want to be walking in a different direction than her. And he had known, right then, that he didn't ever want to be walking away from her, from now on- he only wanted to walk towards her. And that meant telling her brother.
Ross came into the room, oblivious to his friend's nervous chatter, and unloaded his backpack for what looked like a long night of studying.
"Hey, before you start anything, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure," said Ross, turning to face his friend. "Everything okay with your mom?"
"What? Oh, yeah, fine. It's not about family," said Chandler. "Well… it's not about my family," he corrected himself.
Ross looked confused. "Okay…"
"See, the thing is… I've been having certain feelings lately. For Monica," he said, deciding it was best to just get it all out in the open and deal with the reaction rather than draw it out in preparation.
Ross's face flashed from confusion to understanding to discomfort in a matter of seconds. "Moni- my, my, uh, my sister?"
Chandler just nodded. "I know, it's a weird thing to have to tell you… but I thought I should. Because when it was just a crush, there was no point in talking to you about it. I mean, I had Evelyn, and she was your sister, and there were lines-"
"There's not lines anymore?"
Chandler ignored his remark. "And then, after the kissing thing on New Years-"
"What?" Ross screeched.
"Oh, right, I never told you that," Chandler said sheepishly. "Well… we got back to school and she had a boyfriend and that was even more reason not to discuss it with you. But then, they broke up, and I can't stop thinking about her Ross, and I can't stop wanting to be around her and dreaming about her and-"
Chandler was cut off by Ross waving his hands in front of his face. "All right, all right, I get it, you like her!"
Chandler shook his head. "No, Ross, you don't get it. I don't like your sister." Ross looked at him, not understanding. "I love her."
"You love Monica? As in, you're in love with her?" Ross asked incredulously.
Chandler nodded.
"Have you told her?"
"Twice. But both were really… screwed up ways of telling her. I was just my idiotic self, but I want to fix that. But not before I talked to you."
"So, what is this… are you asking my blessing?"
He shook his head no. "No, Ross. I'm doing it with or without your blessing. I value our friendship above almost anything else in my life, and I think you know that… but this is something I have to do. I'm telling you because I'd like your support, but if I can't have that, then I'd just like you to know before you find out some other way," he said, being brutally honest. Ross paused, and took in his words. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
"I won't lie and say it doesn't creep me out," Ross said. "I mean, she's my little sister… but if you've already made your decision, and if you really love her, I'd never stand in the way of that, man."
"Really?" Chandler asked.
"Yeah. Just… don't kiss around me yet, okay?"
Chandler grinned. "You got it."
The next night, Chandler called Monica and asked if she wanted to take a walk with him.
"A walk?" she asked dubiously. "Isn't it freezing?"
"Bundle up," he urged. "It's a beautiful night. You can almost make out a couple of stars through the smog," he joked.
She smiled, and agreed. They walked around the campus for a while, then ended up across town in Central Park. She looked up briefly, trying to see if she could in fact pick out a star or two from the dark sky that blanketed the city.
"There's one," she said, pointing with one hand and casually wrapping the other around his. He didn't look where she was pointing, but instead looked down at their entwined fingers, sure that nothing had ever looked so perfect before in his life.
"Hey Mon?" he asked, rubbing her hand gently with his thumb.
"Hmm?"
"I need to tell you something."
She looked at him. "You sound kinda serious."
"I am kinda serious," he said earnestly. He dropped her hand, ran his own through his hair nervously, then picked up her hand again and held it between both of his.
"I've done a lot of stupid things this year. I've messed up, and made mistakes, and then messed up some more. And it's not even March," he said, and she laughed softly. He smiled too, then took a deep breath. "But I'm done screwing up. I'm sorry for any pain I've caused you, any tear you've cried because of something I've done or not done, but I wouldn't take any of it back, because it's brought us here. To this moment, in Central Park, on a night when there are three stars shining above us, and you were right, it is freezing, and-"
"Chandler," she said, getting him back on track.
"Right. Well, everything's brought us here. And I've said it before, two times before, actually, but I want it to mean something this time. I want it to mean something because you believe me. I love you. I'm totally, completely, head over heels, insanely, undeniably, forever-kind-of-love in love with you," he said.
She looked at him through tear glazed eyes and kept him waiting for a few moments, unsure of how to tell him how deeply his words had touched her. She finally reached up and hugged him fiercely, squeezing him so tight it took him by surprise until he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, closing his eyes and waiting for her to speak.
"That's exactly how I wanted you to say it," she whispered into his ear happily. They held each other for a few more moments, and then she pulled back slightly to look at him.
"I love you too," she said. "God, I do, I love you so much," she said, capturing his lips with hers in a sweet kiss.
"Time to go home, time to go home," an old man cackled at them eerily from a nearby bench. They looked at each other.
"Well, nothing says 'I love you' like a crazy homeless man," Chandler said sarcastically. She laughed, took his hand, and began heading out of the park and back home.
"It just wouldn't have been us if we weren't interrupted by some weird guy with a tinfoil hat," she agreed.
TBC??? I feel that there's more to this story, but I kind of like the way this chapter ended- sweet and quirky, just like them, haha. Review if you want to read more, but I think I'll probably write it anyway, just because I think there's more to tell… I hope you liked it! Mwah!