AN: There is suggestive sexual content in this chapter.
You've been warned.
Enjoy!
The tears stung.
They also healed.
Rachel pressed play one more time, her finger softly caressing the button as if it were Ross's cheek.
"Uh, it's me. I love you. I miss you. I wish you were here. Bye."
It heated up her very soul. Not since he had first been admitted to rehab, did Ross leave her a message. And to come back from the most boring meeting in the world to hear his soft, yet deep voice, melted her. She cherished each word, as if they were his final.
Rachel had never been happier.
Wiping the tears away, she looked around the room - her office.
Although it was smaller than Joanna's, it was absolutely perfect. The walls were white, like a dove soaring through the clouds. They weren't the hard and crusty drywall she was used to, either; they actually gave some ambiance to the room. Abstract paintings lined the walls, with splashes of orange, blue, and green made it look bigger than it actually was. Her chair was 100% leather, with no armrests - just how she wanted it. Her desk; her beautiful varnished walnut desk that was littered with pictures of her friends, and a vase filled with roses, sent by none other than Ross, sat in the corner, her laptop sitting in the center.
A smaller workload, and some actual motivation to do her work.
And, it was Friday.
The clock, which read 6:35 p.m., glowed in the corner of her eye. Rachel decided that it the sooner she went to visit Ross, the better. She picked up the photo of her and Ben, and smiled, her expression warm with sentiment. Gently, she pressed the small button on the lower left of her phone receiver.
"Yes?" The voice on the other end was sweet and cheery.
"Sophie, I'm taking off." She stated, wearily.
"Okay, just let me print off your weekly report." Sophie replied, typing furiously.
Rachel released the buzzer, stood up, and began packing her various folders and papers into her bag. She skimmed the office once more, still at awe at how good it looked, that it was hers, and threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out.
Beaming, Sophie handed her a several stapled pieces of paper.
"Have a good weekend!"
"You, too."
Rachel stepped past her as she grabbed the report, and walked over to the elevators. A great advantage of being an Assistant Buyer was that she was on the opposite end of the floor that Joanna was on, therefore Rachel didn't see that witch as much. She was simply faxed whenever she needed something done, which Rachel would simply fax back.
This was the life.
However, the real fun started after work. Every day since he was admitted, Rachel would visit Ross when she left work, telling him about how much she loved her job, and the various perks it now had. They would talk, laugh, and love like they were still teenagers, and it was perfect. They were in love all over again.
Things were finally getting better, even if by only a little.
So, as she stepped out of the elevator, Rachel happily skipped her way outside, where she flagged down a cab.
Ross was reading a magazine - National Geographic, specifically - when he heard a tap on the glass door. As he did glanced up, his heart immediately brightened up. He didn't motion for Rachel to come in, like usual, but instead halted her at the other side of the door. To her surprise, he threw his legs to the floor, and stood up, grunting. Gripping his walker, writhing in pain (but doing a somewhat good job of hiding it), Ross slowly but surely trekked it to the door, where the object of his dreams awaited.
Slowly, he reached over to the door handle, and, using the last of his strength, pulled it open.
"Honey, I'm so proud of you!" She hugged Ross, happy that he overcame his limits.
"N... N-Nurse.." Ross groaned, his entire body shaking under his own weight.
"What?" Rachel pulled away, concerned.
"G-Get a nurse!" He yelled at her, near collapse.
"Oh! Uh, okay, hang on!" She ran and got a nurse who just rounded the corner, who, after helping support Ross, moved him over to the couch.
He laid, proud of himself that he made it as far as he did, although ashamed that Rachel had saw him so weak. This was the third time she had to watch him struggle, and, in all honesty, it hurt him much more than it hurt her, despite what she may have said.
Rachel gently petted his hair, smiling at the man she loved - and how far he had come. She remembered the first time he had attempted to walk to her; he crashed into the coffee table the second he lifted himself off of the couch. A few tries later, he tripped over the rug. No matter how much she wanted to help him, Ross insisted that he was fine. This time, he made it. He actually made it.
Perhaps a kiss would have kept him afloat.
As he flipped through the pages, Ross noticed that the pain in his legs dulled more and more with each touch Rachel had gifted him with. He slowly closed the magazine, and set it on his lap, as he tilted his head back to look into her longing eyes. The way her cinnamon hair hovered just above his nose, where he could smell, but not touch, drove him mad. Her eyes, which shimmered under the soft glow of the overhead lamp, stared right back into his soul. Her breath bandaged it's way to his heart, fixing the turmoil that had taken him over so long.
Ross and Rachel.
The words rung in his head, syncing with his brain waves. It was a perfect sound; a perfect phrase. Like angels they were, cascading down to save the ones who had been forsaken by Cupid. An excellent - no, perfect example of love.
They were alone. That's how they liked it. Almost 9 o'clock, and they simply held each other for hours, cradling themselves, aloft with their own heat.
Rachel remembered how they used to do this, almost all of the time. She looked into his milky chocolate eyes, and saw herself, radiant from his gaze. Ross had the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen; they were incomparable to anything else, the way they shined in the sun, or the moon.
Within her chimera, she debated on talking to him about his infidelity; she had put it off for a while, having been concerned with other things, but every moment seemed like the perfect moment. However, if she brought it up, she would almost certainly slip that Mark kissed her; this would only make Ross angry, and would almost justify him sleeping with that slut.
At least to him, anyway.
It wasn't worth it.
That was all Rachel needed to keep telling herself.
No matter how hard it gnawed at her, she would have to keep quiet.
Gluing her porcelain lips together, Rachel smiled at him, to which he smiled back; that smile that could melt a block of ice within seconds. Every passing second they leered at each other, Rachel began squirming, and it soon became apparent that she wanted him - badly. At first, it was as simple as crossing one leg over the other; but as time past on, she had a dire need to release her carnal desires.
Quickly, she refused her urges; Ross was in no condition to have sex.
Grudgingly, it went away, after thinking about various nasty things, like Chandler showering. It wasn't until the last of it left that she realized that her and Ross were still staring at each other. Hoping to distract him from whatever he may be thinking, Rachel leaned down and gently kissed him, her lips freshly balmed with the scent of strawberries, which she had put on prior to arriving. It felt so warm against the cold air that encircled them, waiting to penetrate their layer of heat.
Surprisingly, Ross whispered into her ear, his voice tender and amorous.
"You wanna go to bed?"
She pulled away, blinking rapidly. "W-What? Really?" Rachel was completely caught off guard. As she grinned, blood flushed her cheeks, as if he read her mind. All of her needs came rushing back, like a schoolgirl brimming to the edge with hormones.
"Yeah. I can't sleep on this couch." He stated, reaching his arm behind him to fluff small pillow.
Her heart skipped a beat. "O-Oh. Alright." She managed to stutter, having been shot down by a million missiles.
With that, Ross wearily stood up, using his walker for support, as Rachel apathetically stood up behind him, and slowly stepped ahead to hold the door open to his room. He trudged inside, dropping himself onto the bed, hands first. It was the better than the floor, on every occasion. Rachel came behind, making sure he wasn't hurt, and sat on the bed next to him.
She placed his hand on his arm, and looked at him briefly before kissing him again, her blood pumping through her body. Rachel hadn't been this brazen in weeks, having been occupied with so much. But now, she didn't have so much work, it was Friday night, and she was alone with the man she loved.
The question was, would Ross go for it?
Rachel knew that he had some feeling in his legs, and, if they had sex, he would probably gain a lot more. It was becoming quite the experiment, even though it was only in her head. Ross had a word for that, what was it? Hypothesis? Either way, she decided to act on her animal instinct, but first, they had to get much more comfortable.
Again, they kissed, this time with more passion. It was remarkable, how good it felt; the way their hearts were thrown about, in the wild heat of love. It was like a dream, being with someone who loved you as much or more as you loved them.
The meaning of life.
To be happy.
As their lips touched, the world stopped. They were shut out into a dimension of their own creation, subtle yet dignified. A swirl of blue and green nebulae fell to every direction, as they lost themselves in the deep reaches of space. The words that echoed, sending shockwaves through the vacuum, rocked their brains.
Ross and Rachel.
They never wanted to pull away. Rachel had forgotten what she was even trying to do, since her heart was lost within Ross's embrace. It was a curse, whenever they held each other, that she would forget everything, which led to a poor work average and dishes left undone. But it was worth it. To feel his touch on her, drove her insane. Ross had a special way of making her heart thump through her chest, soaring into the clouds.
They crawled into the confines of the sheets, which were blue like the ocean, and snuggled against each other. It was warm, and every single time that they looked at each other, her skin crawled. It was unbelievable, at times. To have a man who loved her so much, who'd die for her a million times over, was surreal. No matter how many times Rachel ran it through her head, it would not register.
Her mother had always told her that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Yet, this was not the case.
Her knight in shining armor, her prince, her savior, was only a kiss away.
"Make love to me." It came out without her permission. The moment had gotten to her, and they were more than ready. It had been two weeks since they had made love, and it became overwhelming. Since that night, Rachel never expected to become one with Ross again.
Now, she had her chance.
"Huh?" He moaned, her lips crushing against his.
"You heard me." She moaned back, before pulling away briefly. Rachel smiled, coyly, as she leaned into his ear, whispering the words that would drive any man insane. This time, she meant it. Besides, it was going to happen sooner or later. "Make love to me, Ross."
"Uh, um -" Shockingly, he was cut off, by her warm and loving finger on his lips.
"Don't talk, just do it." Her voice was now that of a seductress catching her prey. Without a single thought, she guided herself to his lips once more. Rachel heard a low mumble, which she immediately took as an 'I love you', but did not pay much attention towards, as there was something much better than words to express their love right around the corner.
In the symphony of the night, sheets were rustled and tossed about.
Rachel cackled, her body being the best medicine for Ross.