Love vs Lust



Hey! I am actually back! :p Well, this is inspired from a dream I had last night, so I thought I had to write it! Hope you all enjoy! :) It's also not completely original, but it's also not a copied idea from another fic. It takes place in the middle of season 6. It's short, but it's only a chapter. It moves a little fast, but that's because the real story starts in the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Chandler awoke alone in bed once again this week. It seemed that waking up alone was beginning to become a routine and not one that he would grow a liking for. Slowly, Chandler raised his tired body out of bed and stretched out his stiff muscles. Tiredly, he walked out of his bedroom and into his living room to see Monica eating breakfast with Phoebe. "Hey Pheebs," Chandler said as he walked to the table. He kissed Monica's hair which she had seemed to turn away from and softly said, 'Good morning, babe."

"Hey, Chandler, I was thinking about going to a dollar store to get some shnazzy stuff for mine and Rach's apartment. You want to come?" Phoebe asked politely.

"Why can't Monica go with you?" Chandler asked confused to why Phoebe would ask him.

Phoebe looks at Monica trying to search for an answer but can't. "Umm, well, you have a green shirt on. An they like green." Phoebe said slowly knowing that it was one of the weirder things she had said this week.

Chandler, not knowing how to respond to that, said, "Well, I guess I could do it for the greens. I mean summer's not coming too soon right?" His attempt to make a joke about that was horrible, but he was Chandler. He had a reputation to keep and making a joke about the weird things Phoebe said was a part of the rules. This one was just not as easy.

Monica, finally coming to life, stood up to put her dishes away. She turned around and sighed. "Well, I have to get going. By guys." Monica smiled as she walked out of the door.

"Phoebe, is there something up with Monica or am I just seeing things?" Chandler asked curiously as he stared at the door.

"You're seeing things!" Phoebe responded rather quickly.

"Huh," Chandler sighed as he still kept his eyes on the door.

****

"And the Paleolithic Age consisted of our early hunters and gatherers. Now, I know you're all wondering how a human in that age would be able to defend himself over an animal, but humans had an advantage. Do any of you know what that would be?" There was complete silence in the room. "Well, apposable thumbs!!" Ross said with enthusiasm in his voice. "Our thumbs are more important than we think, you know. To prove that true, I want you all to attempt tying your shoes with only your fingers." Ross said as he leaned on the chalkboard. "Oh man," he said softly to himself, for he had gotten chalk all over his black suit. "Chandler! What are you doing here?" He whispered at the door as he saw his friend nearly falling asleep standing.

"I have to talk to you. Are you almost done your incredibly interesting lecture and chalk show?" Chandler asked with a small smirk.

"Yeah, give me about five minutes!" Ross whispered back and then looked at his class who were all unsuccessfully trying to tie their shoes with only four fingers. "A little harder than we thought it would be wasn't it? Well, that's all for today everyone. I'll be expecting your papers on the Lucy, Friday." Ross announced and then turned his attention back to Chandler. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. I find this all kind of funny." Chandler smiled.

"Oh, my lecture? Oh, it is fascinating. Did you see the part where I was talking about the homo erectus?" Ross asked enthused.

"Sadly, I did miss that." Chandler replied sarcastically, "Maybe next time!" Chandler said with the same tone in his voice.



"Yeah, maybe." Ross said catching on to the fact that Chandler was just kidding. "Why are you actually here?"

"Have you noticed anything strange in Monica?" Chandler asked rather slowly a little scared of bringing it up.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think the spark is gone. At least hers is." Chandler admitted sadly.

"What?! You mean between you and Monica?" Ross asked.

"No, me and Aggripina." Chandler responded dryly.

"It's Aggripina and I. Anyway, that I can see. She did poison her husband." Ross said smiling just a little about the insane Roman, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing from Chandler.

"Ever since we've moved in together, I feel like she's been resenting me. She gets up extra early, she never talks to me, and she's always with Phoebe and Rachel." Chandler said getting serious.

"I'm sure it's nothing, man. It's Monica, she adores you." Ross assured him.

"I am not so sure about that anymore, man," Chandler admitted softly.

****

"Rach, there's a sale at Bloomingdale's tonight, you in?" Monica asked casually as she walked into Phoebe's and Rachel's apartment.

"Do you even have to ask?!" Rachel grinned excitedly. "Mon, are you ok?" She asked her friend who was seated on the couch in her own little world.

"I'm great, why?" Monica asked with a force smile.

"It's just that ever since Chandler has moved in, you've been here." Rachel told her quietly.

"I know. I want to spend some time with my friends. Is that a crime?" Monica asked a little hostile to Rachel's question.

"Mon, you can talk to me." Rachel said trying to be convincing.

"I don't know what's wrong, ok?" Monica whined. " I feel like everything is changing, and I want them to go back to being the way they were."

"The way they were when, Mon?" Rachel asked.

"Before London," Monica admitted softly. She was near tears.

"Before you and Chandler? Monica, did you two have a fight?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem? You and Chandler are perfect for each other!" Rachel practically screamed trying to knock some sense into her friend's head.

"But are we Rach? Ever since he's moved in, he's been a mess. Putting the phone pen in the wrong place, moving the trash around, leaving his clothes on the floor in the bedroom. He's a slob, and you know how much I can't live with that!" Monica admitted very quickly almost as if she was quickly analyzing everything she said.

"That's all?" Rachel laughed. "Come on, Monica. Be reasonable here!"

"I am being reasonable! And he's not romantic with me, and his jokes are just getting annoying. He's annoying me Rachel!"



"Is that really all? Just talk to him." Rachel said confused to Monica's words.

"That's not everything....... There's someone else." Monica admitted looking away.

"You cheated on Chandler?" Rachel gasped.

"No!!! Umm... He's a costumer at work that has been asking me out this past week, and the more I get to know him, the more I realize he's perfect for me and Chandler's not. I can't even look at Chandler anymore, but with Greg, it's new. I feel like a woman with Greg." Monica admitted.

"So you're going to break Chandler's heart? A guy that overcame most of his fears of commitment for you. Who was one of your best friends. And for something new?" Rachel asked afraid. Was Monica seriously going to end things with Chandler?

"I don't know, Rachel. What should I do?" Monica asked confused. She loved Chandler, but she felt like that relationship was going down the drain.

"I got it!" Rachel yelled in triumph. "Ok, go on one innocent date with this Greg guy and see if he's perfect for you." Rachel knew that Monica would realize how crazy she was being if she could just take a second and think.

"You really think that would work?" Monica asked unsure. She hated that she might be the one to break Chandler's heart, but it was her life, and she wouldn't not be held back just because she was scared.

"Mon, do you love Chandler?"

"I don't know anymore, Rach. I wish there was some kind of sign that would tell me, but I don't know." Monica sobbed.

"Shhh.. It will be ok," Rachel comforted soothingly. She hugged Monica and rocked her back and forth hoping Monica would calm down and see what she was throwing away.

****

"Hey, Mon, I'm home!" Chandler called out, but there was no answer. "Mon? I guess she's not here." Chandler said to himself. As he took off his coat and hung it, the door opened. "Mon?"

"No, it's just me." Joey announced.

"Hey Joe, have you seen Monica?" Chandler asked.

"She's at a sale with, Rachel."

"Oh, so what are you up to?"

"I have a date!" Joey smiled. "I came here for food!" He said as he rushed over to the fridge. "I haven't eaten all day." He told Chandler as he was chewing some left over chicken that was in the fridge.

"Oh, that must have been torture." Chandler quipped dryly and basically let his body fall onto the couch.

"Are you ok?" Joey asked a little concerned.

"I'll be fine." Chandler said sadly.

"Hey, do you want me to call off my date? We can go to a sports bar and have some fun?" Joey asked.

"You don't have to.." Chandler said slowly. "Would you?"

****

Monica walked out of Bloomingdale's with Rachel. "Now, that is what I call shopping!" Monica grinned.



"Yeah," Rachel responded a little angry.

"Oh, come on! That was fun. Admit it."

"Before or after you told that woman that you had cancer and needed that one shirt. Or when you body checked that little man for the beige capris."

"Hey, they look great on me!" Monica defended.

"Not that great," Rachel mumbled.

"What did you say? Oh, it doesn't matter." Monica smiled softly, but quickly it disappeared. "I made the date with Greg today. For this Friday, so can you keep Chandler company?" Monica asked.

"I guess, but I don't like this." Rachel said.

"Me neither, Rach, but I have to know. You understand that right?" Monica was feeling more guilty about this than ever, but if there was a chance that someone else was her soul mate, she should, right?

"Do what you have to do, Mon." Rachel whispered as she kept walking.

****

"Go KNICKS!!" Joey screamed in the bar with a mug of beer in his left hand. "Is this great or what?!" Joey asked excitedly to Chandler.

Chandler smiled, "It's great! Ohh! SHOOT!!!! Come on!! YES!!!!!!" Chandler jumped up and did a small jig for the entire bar to see. "I guess I got a little too excited there," he admitted a little ashamed to everyone there.

"I thought you looked great," said one of the ladies.

"Really? I could do it again." Chandler joked.

"I'm Melissa." she let out a small laugh as she said that and put her hand out.

"I'm Chandler," he introduced while shaking her hand. "You like the Knicks?" he asked, his eyes pointing toward the small TV in the corner of the bar.

"I love them." She smiled.

"Well, why don't you join my friend and I? Joey, this is Melissa, Melissa this is my friend Joey."

"Hey!" Joey greeted and turned his attention back to the TV.

"Have a seat," Chandler smiled, and the two put their energy into watching the TV again.

To be continued...



Tell me what you think. This is not the normal kind of fic I would write, but hey, we could all use change. I will try to get the second part up asap. I'll try to continue Love Me Still in this century, but I haven't had the time or energy. I have more time now, so we'll see.