Chandler sat down and brooded until Joey finally returned from the movie set. Chandler took a long, hard look at him as he came in, and he could see now what Phoebe had meant. Far from being his usual carefree self, Joey looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Hi," Joey spoke, subdued.
"Hi," Chandler answered. "Listen, um, how do you feel about the divorce?"
Joey winced, then shrugged. "Whatever you want."
"Whatever *I* want? What about--?" Chandler hesitated, then got to his feet and paced around the room. "Joey, do you, do you think maybe I should move out of here?"
Joey looked up. "What? Why?"
"If I stay here, I'm just putting you in the middle of it, you know? Maybe I should go."
"But--but where?"
"Well, I don't think any of the others want me moving in with them. I guess I could find a hotel for right now, then look for an apartment somewhere."
"You're--you're really leaving me?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. You grow up, you get divorced, you move forward with your life instead of backwards."
"I'm backwards?" Joey asked softly, looking hurt.
"I mean, it makes sense, you know? I can't stand to be around Monica right now, so why live across the hall from her? I should be somewhere that I won't see her all the time. Besides, having a depressed divorced guy around here will just cramp your style with the ladies."
"But when will I see you?"
"I don't know. When you're not hanging out with all of them, call me, and we'll get together at my place or something."
Joey looked alarmed. "You mean you won't just come by anymore? This is like, goodbye?"
Chandler shook his head. "No, not forever, Joe. Come on, you're my friend. My best friend." He pulled Joey close and hugged him.
Joey held on tight. "I'll miss you," he whispered, heartbroken.
"I'll miss you too." As they kept embracing, Chandler become teary-eyed and could not help asking quietly, "You--you were my friend first, right? Not Monica's. I mean, we're still, we're still...?"
"Yeah," Joey swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."
Chandler felt better and sighed against his shoulder. "I mean, you never slept with Monica! And, and that's not even the same. What you did for me, that was... that was special."
Joey could not find any words to reply.
"Joey?" Chandler finally pulled back to look at him.
Joey quickly turned and hid his face. He walked away from Chandler and tried to compose himself in the corner of the room.
Chandler stared at him. "Was I, was I not supposed to mention that? Joey?" He came closer, feeling anxious. "I--I never told anybody about that. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation. That's just between us, you know?"
Joey nodded, keeping his back to him.
"I'm sorry." Chandler didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to lose Joey's friendship, especially now, and he miserably waited for some response.
Joey found his voice at last, though he struggled, "What, um, what was that night? Besides, you know, amazing, and, um, special?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said I was a good actor. Did you--were you acting too? When I was kissing you there and you moaned, 'Joey', was that just so you didn't have to say, 'Monica'? Huh?"
Chandler stared at him, shocked and amazed all over again. "You--you weren't acting? That wasn't just pity sex? But you even let me, um," he gulped. "You *helped* me, um..."
Joey nodded again and shrugged sadly. "I guess, I guess it's a good thing you're already moving out of here."
"Joey!" Chandler rushed over to him and hugged him tight. "Joey, how could I fake that? Huh? How could I risk asking you for more, if you'd only say no? I just, I thought that you wouldn't want to continue in the morning. Or if you did, it would only be out of pity, and I didn't want that. I just..." He shook his head and sighed, "That was the most loving, wonderful..." He kissed Joey's cheek and clung to him.
Finally Joey turned to Chandler, and they met each other's eyes wordlessly. Then Joey leaned near and they kissed again, shyly at first. Soon Chandler kissed back firmly, and whispered, "Joey, can I, can we do that again?"
Joey returned the kiss and pulled Chandler into his bedroom.
"Hi," Joey spoke, subdued.
"Hi," Chandler answered. "Listen, um, how do you feel about the divorce?"
Joey winced, then shrugged. "Whatever you want."
"Whatever *I* want? What about--?" Chandler hesitated, then got to his feet and paced around the room. "Joey, do you, do you think maybe I should move out of here?"
Joey looked up. "What? Why?"
"If I stay here, I'm just putting you in the middle of it, you know? Maybe I should go."
"But--but where?"
"Well, I don't think any of the others want me moving in with them. I guess I could find a hotel for right now, then look for an apartment somewhere."
"You're--you're really leaving me?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. You grow up, you get divorced, you move forward with your life instead of backwards."
"I'm backwards?" Joey asked softly, looking hurt.
"I mean, it makes sense, you know? I can't stand to be around Monica right now, so why live across the hall from her? I should be somewhere that I won't see her all the time. Besides, having a depressed divorced guy around here will just cramp your style with the ladies."
"But when will I see you?"
"I don't know. When you're not hanging out with all of them, call me, and we'll get together at my place or something."
Joey looked alarmed. "You mean you won't just come by anymore? This is like, goodbye?"
Chandler shook his head. "No, not forever, Joe. Come on, you're my friend. My best friend." He pulled Joey close and hugged him.
Joey held on tight. "I'll miss you," he whispered, heartbroken.
"I'll miss you too." As they kept embracing, Chandler become teary-eyed and could not help asking quietly, "You--you were my friend first, right? Not Monica's. I mean, we're still, we're still...?"
"Yeah," Joey swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."
Chandler felt better and sighed against his shoulder. "I mean, you never slept with Monica! And, and that's not even the same. What you did for me, that was... that was special."
Joey could not find any words to reply.
"Joey?" Chandler finally pulled back to look at him.
Joey quickly turned and hid his face. He walked away from Chandler and tried to compose himself in the corner of the room.
Chandler stared at him. "Was I, was I not supposed to mention that? Joey?" He came closer, feeling anxious. "I--I never told anybody about that. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation. That's just between us, you know?"
Joey nodded, keeping his back to him.
"I'm sorry." Chandler didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to lose Joey's friendship, especially now, and he miserably waited for some response.
Joey found his voice at last, though he struggled, "What, um, what was that night? Besides, you know, amazing, and, um, special?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said I was a good actor. Did you--were you acting too? When I was kissing you there and you moaned, 'Joey', was that just so you didn't have to say, 'Monica'? Huh?"
Chandler stared at him, shocked and amazed all over again. "You--you weren't acting? That wasn't just pity sex? But you even let me, um," he gulped. "You *helped* me, um..."
Joey nodded again and shrugged sadly. "I guess, I guess it's a good thing you're already moving out of here."
"Joey!" Chandler rushed over to him and hugged him tight. "Joey, how could I fake that? Huh? How could I risk asking you for more, if you'd only say no? I just, I thought that you wouldn't want to continue in the morning. Or if you did, it would only be out of pity, and I didn't want that. I just..." He shook his head and sighed, "That was the most loving, wonderful..." He kissed Joey's cheek and clung to him.
Finally Joey turned to Chandler, and they met each other's eyes wordlessly. Then Joey leaned near and they kissed again, shyly at first. Soon Chandler kissed back firmly, and whispered, "Joey, can I, can we do that again?"
Joey returned the kiss and pulled Chandler into his bedroom.