Joey still starred in the play with Kathy, and got good reviews, but kept his word that what happened between him and Kate would not happen between him and Kathy. It was flattering to know that Chandler cared for him that much, even if it was in secret.
Only their pet birds knew about their changed relationship, simply because they lived there and roamed the apartment pretty freely. If the guys left their doors open, the duck would soon interrupt them with its quacking, and the chick would wander in too, attracted by the noise. Being watched was okay with Joey and Chandler if they were just dancing or kissing, but not so okay if they were having sex.
Chandler had vivid childhood memories of both his parents shamelessly pursuing their boy toys right before his eyes, and Joey also had no wish to give the birds an inappropriate eyeful, so they made sure to shoo the birds out of whichever bedroom they retired to for the night. The guys thought of the chick and the duck kind of like children, after all, and still sometimes argued about their feeding and care.
Happily, their arguments often ended with a kiss now, or with the two of them curling up together on one of their leather recliners. Their affair had become quite cozy indeed.
"Chan?" Joey whispered and nudged him behind the ear.
Chandler had dozed off next to him in the leather chair. "Hmm?" He blinked sleepily.
"My room tonight?"
He woke up a little more and smiled. "Okay."
Joey turned off the TV and pulled Chandler to his feet. "You're not *too* sleepy, are you?"
"No," Chandler laughed and raced Joey to the bedroom.
***
After flourishing in secrecy for so long, their affair finally became apparent to their friends when Joey and Chandler forgot to be discreet in the midst of the holiday season.
Monica and Phoebe were starting a catering business together, so they suggested that the six of them do Secret Santa to save money on gifts. Joey and Chandler both traded for each other, and more suspiciously, Joey borrowed money to buy a rare copy of Chandler's favorite children's book, *The Velveteen Rabbit*. Since when was Joey that thoughtful, or that knowledgeable about Chandler's reading interests?
Chandler realized that he had no spare cash after refurnishing the apartment, so after desperately trying to make some sort of gift, he wound up giving Joey a lame pen with a clock in it. Joey didn't mind at all, and nearly kissed Chandler in front of everybody, before he caught himself and suggested that they retire to their apartment.
The others were puzzled by this strange behavior, so they snuck across the hall and burst into the guys' apartment without knocking. They caught Joey and Chandler making out, which made them all gasp in shock.
"Wow! When did this happen?" Monica asked.
Blushing, Joey and Chandler realized that their secret was out, so they confessed to their relationship and endured all the jokes from their friends.
"Wait, wait! Let's get some mistletoe, and make them kiss again!" Phoebe suggested.
Ross smiled. "Well, Chandler, I guess you're not so mad anymore that I told all the girls in college that you were gay."
"Ah-ha!" Rachel spoke up. "I knew you guys were acting weird about that play where Joey had sex with that girl! It was like Ross's jealousy over Mark."
"Not exactly!" Ross was a bit annoyed.
"Hey, Joey!" Monica teased. "You must've really liked all that ballroom dancing with Mr. Treeger, huh?"
Eventually, the novelty wore off, and the gang eased up on the frequency of their jokes. Joey and Chandler then decided to break the news to their parents too.
Mr. and Mrs. Tribbiani were particularly surprised after all the years of their son being a ladies' man, but they learned to accept that Joey now had a boyfriend, and a committed one at that. Chandler clearly made him happy, and they were really still the same old roommates who drank beer, loved sports, and enjoyed *Baywatch*; now they just slept with each other too.
The former Mr. and Mrs. Bing of course knew all about the attractions of hot young men, though both of them did not keep boyfriends for very long. Still, they wished Joey and Chandler good luck.
Only their pet birds knew about their changed relationship, simply because they lived there and roamed the apartment pretty freely. If the guys left their doors open, the duck would soon interrupt them with its quacking, and the chick would wander in too, attracted by the noise. Being watched was okay with Joey and Chandler if they were just dancing or kissing, but not so okay if they were having sex.
Chandler had vivid childhood memories of both his parents shamelessly pursuing their boy toys right before his eyes, and Joey also had no wish to give the birds an inappropriate eyeful, so they made sure to shoo the birds out of whichever bedroom they retired to for the night. The guys thought of the chick and the duck kind of like children, after all, and still sometimes argued about their feeding and care.
Happily, their arguments often ended with a kiss now, or with the two of them curling up together on one of their leather recliners. Their affair had become quite cozy indeed.
"Chan?" Joey whispered and nudged him behind the ear.
Chandler had dozed off next to him in the leather chair. "Hmm?" He blinked sleepily.
"My room tonight?"
He woke up a little more and smiled. "Okay."
Joey turned off the TV and pulled Chandler to his feet. "You're not *too* sleepy, are you?"
"No," Chandler laughed and raced Joey to the bedroom.
***
After flourishing in secrecy for so long, their affair finally became apparent to their friends when Joey and Chandler forgot to be discreet in the midst of the holiday season.
Monica and Phoebe were starting a catering business together, so they suggested that the six of them do Secret Santa to save money on gifts. Joey and Chandler both traded for each other, and more suspiciously, Joey borrowed money to buy a rare copy of Chandler's favorite children's book, *The Velveteen Rabbit*. Since when was Joey that thoughtful, or that knowledgeable about Chandler's reading interests?
Chandler realized that he had no spare cash after refurnishing the apartment, so after desperately trying to make some sort of gift, he wound up giving Joey a lame pen with a clock in it. Joey didn't mind at all, and nearly kissed Chandler in front of everybody, before he caught himself and suggested that they retire to their apartment.
The others were puzzled by this strange behavior, so they snuck across the hall and burst into the guys' apartment without knocking. They caught Joey and Chandler making out, which made them all gasp in shock.
"Wow! When did this happen?" Monica asked.
Blushing, Joey and Chandler realized that their secret was out, so they confessed to their relationship and endured all the jokes from their friends.
"Wait, wait! Let's get some mistletoe, and make them kiss again!" Phoebe suggested.
Ross smiled. "Well, Chandler, I guess you're not so mad anymore that I told all the girls in college that you were gay."
"Ah-ha!" Rachel spoke up. "I knew you guys were acting weird about that play where Joey had sex with that girl! It was like Ross's jealousy over Mark."
"Not exactly!" Ross was a bit annoyed.
"Hey, Joey!" Monica teased. "You must've really liked all that ballroom dancing with Mr. Treeger, huh?"
Eventually, the novelty wore off, and the gang eased up on the frequency of their jokes. Joey and Chandler then decided to break the news to their parents too.
Mr. and Mrs. Tribbiani were particularly surprised after all the years of their son being a ladies' man, but they learned to accept that Joey now had a boyfriend, and a committed one at that. Chandler clearly made him happy, and they were really still the same old roommates who drank beer, loved sports, and enjoyed *Baywatch*; now they just slept with each other too.
The former Mr. and Mrs. Bing of course knew all about the attractions of hot young men, though both of them did not keep boyfriends for very long. Still, they wished Joey and Chandler good luck.