Later that morning, Joey and Chandler went back home, both brooding silently on their fight and their kiss. They stopped at Central Perk first and sat down at opposite ends of the couch, sipping their coffee and trying to clear their heads.
Still holding the photo album, Chandler said quietly, "I never should have proposed."
Joey finally turned to look at him. "What? You mean that?"
Chandler nodded. "Everything's gone wrong since the engagement. Even before, when I tried to propose to her, Richard showed up. I mean, if that wasn't a sign, what is?" He shrugged. "And then we finally got engaged, but I couldn't do it with Monica that night. The whole night. Then her parents spent the wedding fund, and I had to pay for everything, and we had a fight. We made up, but Monica spoiled it by saying that she wanted a dog. Then Ross pulled that prank, and I embarrassed myself with Mr. Geller at the gym, and the engagement pictures turned out awful... And now the bachelor party."
Joey didn't reply, just staring into his coffee mug.
Chandler asked him, "Are you gonna stop being friends with me, Joe? Because of... everything?"
Joey pondered that, but shook his head. "No, I just--you have to know that I'm not..." He shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't be alone together anymore. At least, for a while."
Chandler was hurt and spoke resentfully, "Fine. You go and have sex with Amber, or the stripper, or both. I don't care." He put down his coffee mug and got up. "I'm going upstairs to break off my engagement, and probably get kicked out of Monica's apartment."
"Wait, where will you stay?" Joey asked.
"Well," Chandler hesitated, "Ross has an extra room, but I guess he's not going to be welcoming, since I'm gay and dumping his sister. I guess I'll ask Phoebe if the repairs on her apartment are close to done yet, or maybe check into a hotel."
Joey felt guilty. He had been the one to kiss Chandler after all. "Chandler, you can--you can stay on my couch."
He blinked with surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, or maybe I could ask Rachel to move in with Ross, so that you can have your old room back."
Chandler was touched, and he said, "Thank you." He stopped himself from hugging Joey, then went upstairs.
***
"Monica?" Thankfully, no one else was in the apartment right now.
She was at the breakfast table, still busy planning out her dream wedding. "There you are! So how did camping go with Joey?"
Chandler winced at her cheerfulness. "Look, um, Monica, something--something happened."
"What?" she looked a bit worried by his tone.
"I--I need to break off our engagement."
Her jaw dropped. "Chandler, you better be joking! And I have NO sense of humor about the wedding."
"I know, I know. I just, um--" He clutched the photo album tighter and murmured, "I'm gay."
"What?!"
"Joey and I--we, we got to talking last night and, and he gave me this engagement present, and we were looking through it, and remembering stuff, and--and there was a kiss. He stopped it, 'cause I guess he's not gay. But I am, and I can't go along with this wedding anymore. I mean, especially not if you can go back to Richard and be happy. I don't wanna do to you what my dad did to my mom."
Monica became more and more upset as she listened to this speech. "But, but you're not gay! We've been together two years. Having sex."
Chandler nodded. "Yeah, and Ross was with Carol for seven years, having sex. I thought--I thought I really loved you, Mon, but I guess I was just in denial. I'm sorry."
She broke down in tears.
He wasn't sure what to do, but he put down the photo album and went to hug her.
"Are you sure?" she sobbed. "You've kissed Joey before."
"But not like this." He frowned sadly. "I think I love him, but he doesn't--" Chandler sighed. "Well, at least you can be happy with Richard. You don't even have to tell him about this, you know? Just say that you changed your mind about his proposal and you realized it was a mistake going back to me."
She wasn't even thinking about Richard at the moment, still in shock and misery over Chandler.
***
They soon called the rest of the gang over and told them. Stunned, everyone gathered round to hug and comfort Monica. Part of Ross wanted to kick Chandler's ass for hurting Monica, but part of him was glad that Chandler had made this discovery and confession before marriage, unlike Carol.
Ross glared at him, then grudgingly said, "At least you didn't actually cheat, right?"
"Right," Chandler said and sank down on the couch, depressed. He'd wanted to cheat. He'd wanted Joey to keep kissing him last night. To hold him and touch him and maybe slide into the sleeping bag with him, giving him a first-hand experience of the famous "Joey love" that he'd listened to all those years that they'd shared a bedroom wall.
Joey hung around uncomfortably, glancing back and forth between Monica and Chandler. "I'm sorry," was all he would say.
After a sufficient period of grief and coming to terms with the dead relationship, Joey finally brought up the issue of where Chandler was going to stay, and they agreed that he should certainly move out.
"But are you sure you want him in your apartment?" they asked. "What with him being, um, in love with you?"
Joey shrugged. "I was roommates with him before. And he's not going to come on to me again."
Chandler nodded and frowned. "Yeah, um, you made your feelings clear about that."
"So, Rach, can you move out to make room?"
"Oh, you mean back here with Monica?"
Joey shrugged. "If you want, but since Phoebe's here already, why not move into Ross's extra room?"
Rachel wasn't comfortable living at Ross's place, though, and Phoebe wanted to take the first opportunity to move out of Monica's neat-freak guest room, so they decided that Phoebe would move in with Ross so that Rachel could return to her old bedroom.
So everyone started to pack up stuff, which served as a temporary distraction from the broken engagement. Monica eventually took the ring off her finger and sobbed even more, with Rachel holding her close.
***
Eventually, the big move was made, and Chandler promised Joey that he would not be alone with him that much. He was tired and emotionally drained from the bachelor party and the coming out, so he went into his room to take a nap.
Joey didn't hang around, going across the hall to join the others in comforting Monica and helping her decide whether she wanted to see Richard again, and how she would break the news to her parents. At least they hadn't yet sent in an announcement to the newspaper, because of the disastrous engagement photos.
Later that night, Joey came back to the apartment to dress for his date with Amber.
Chandler was talking to Carol and Susan on the phone, arranging a meeting so they could discuss stuff. "Okay, thanks." He hung up and glanced at the clock. "So... you're going out with Amber, huh?"
"Yeah," Joey said, going to the door to grab his coat and keys.
"Are you gonna stay there all night, because, um, I don't want to be around if you're bringing her back here."
Joey shrugged. "No, I guess I'll camp out with her again."
Chandler frowned and looked hurt, but said nothing.
Joey said with a sigh, "Look, maybe I'll stay on her boat instead. Good night." He left.
Alone, Chandler collapsed on the yellow couch and moaned. Why couldn't Joey love him too? He had felt so sure when Joey kissed him last night. He had felt special and wanted and loved, more than he had felt with Monica for quite some time.
The chick and the duck, who had been confused by all the moving and crying today, came over to Chandler curiously. They clucked and quacked as if to ask, "What's wrong?"
Chandler whispered, "He--he kissed me, but he doesn't love me. It didn't mean anything to him."
They reacted sympathetically and stayed near him all night.
Still holding the photo album, Chandler said quietly, "I never should have proposed."
Joey finally turned to look at him. "What? You mean that?"
Chandler nodded. "Everything's gone wrong since the engagement. Even before, when I tried to propose to her, Richard showed up. I mean, if that wasn't a sign, what is?" He shrugged. "And then we finally got engaged, but I couldn't do it with Monica that night. The whole night. Then her parents spent the wedding fund, and I had to pay for everything, and we had a fight. We made up, but Monica spoiled it by saying that she wanted a dog. Then Ross pulled that prank, and I embarrassed myself with Mr. Geller at the gym, and the engagement pictures turned out awful... And now the bachelor party."
Joey didn't reply, just staring into his coffee mug.
Chandler asked him, "Are you gonna stop being friends with me, Joe? Because of... everything?"
Joey pondered that, but shook his head. "No, I just--you have to know that I'm not..." He shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't be alone together anymore. At least, for a while."
Chandler was hurt and spoke resentfully, "Fine. You go and have sex with Amber, or the stripper, or both. I don't care." He put down his coffee mug and got up. "I'm going upstairs to break off my engagement, and probably get kicked out of Monica's apartment."
"Wait, where will you stay?" Joey asked.
"Well," Chandler hesitated, "Ross has an extra room, but I guess he's not going to be welcoming, since I'm gay and dumping his sister. I guess I'll ask Phoebe if the repairs on her apartment are close to done yet, or maybe check into a hotel."
Joey felt guilty. He had been the one to kiss Chandler after all. "Chandler, you can--you can stay on my couch."
He blinked with surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, or maybe I could ask Rachel to move in with Ross, so that you can have your old room back."
Chandler was touched, and he said, "Thank you." He stopped himself from hugging Joey, then went upstairs.
***
"Monica?" Thankfully, no one else was in the apartment right now.
She was at the breakfast table, still busy planning out her dream wedding. "There you are! So how did camping go with Joey?"
Chandler winced at her cheerfulness. "Look, um, Monica, something--something happened."
"What?" she looked a bit worried by his tone.
"I--I need to break off our engagement."
Her jaw dropped. "Chandler, you better be joking! And I have NO sense of humor about the wedding."
"I know, I know. I just, um--" He clutched the photo album tighter and murmured, "I'm gay."
"What?!"
"Joey and I--we, we got to talking last night and, and he gave me this engagement present, and we were looking through it, and remembering stuff, and--and there was a kiss. He stopped it, 'cause I guess he's not gay. But I am, and I can't go along with this wedding anymore. I mean, especially not if you can go back to Richard and be happy. I don't wanna do to you what my dad did to my mom."
Monica became more and more upset as she listened to this speech. "But, but you're not gay! We've been together two years. Having sex."
Chandler nodded. "Yeah, and Ross was with Carol for seven years, having sex. I thought--I thought I really loved you, Mon, but I guess I was just in denial. I'm sorry."
She broke down in tears.
He wasn't sure what to do, but he put down the photo album and went to hug her.
"Are you sure?" she sobbed. "You've kissed Joey before."
"But not like this." He frowned sadly. "I think I love him, but he doesn't--" Chandler sighed. "Well, at least you can be happy with Richard. You don't even have to tell him about this, you know? Just say that you changed your mind about his proposal and you realized it was a mistake going back to me."
She wasn't even thinking about Richard at the moment, still in shock and misery over Chandler.
***
They soon called the rest of the gang over and told them. Stunned, everyone gathered round to hug and comfort Monica. Part of Ross wanted to kick Chandler's ass for hurting Monica, but part of him was glad that Chandler had made this discovery and confession before marriage, unlike Carol.
Ross glared at him, then grudgingly said, "At least you didn't actually cheat, right?"
"Right," Chandler said and sank down on the couch, depressed. He'd wanted to cheat. He'd wanted Joey to keep kissing him last night. To hold him and touch him and maybe slide into the sleeping bag with him, giving him a first-hand experience of the famous "Joey love" that he'd listened to all those years that they'd shared a bedroom wall.
Joey hung around uncomfortably, glancing back and forth between Monica and Chandler. "I'm sorry," was all he would say.
After a sufficient period of grief and coming to terms with the dead relationship, Joey finally brought up the issue of where Chandler was going to stay, and they agreed that he should certainly move out.
"But are you sure you want him in your apartment?" they asked. "What with him being, um, in love with you?"
Joey shrugged. "I was roommates with him before. And he's not going to come on to me again."
Chandler nodded and frowned. "Yeah, um, you made your feelings clear about that."
"So, Rach, can you move out to make room?"
"Oh, you mean back here with Monica?"
Joey shrugged. "If you want, but since Phoebe's here already, why not move into Ross's extra room?"
Rachel wasn't comfortable living at Ross's place, though, and Phoebe wanted to take the first opportunity to move out of Monica's neat-freak guest room, so they decided that Phoebe would move in with Ross so that Rachel could return to her old bedroom.
So everyone started to pack up stuff, which served as a temporary distraction from the broken engagement. Monica eventually took the ring off her finger and sobbed even more, with Rachel holding her close.
***
Eventually, the big move was made, and Chandler promised Joey that he would not be alone with him that much. He was tired and emotionally drained from the bachelor party and the coming out, so he went into his room to take a nap.
Joey didn't hang around, going across the hall to join the others in comforting Monica and helping her decide whether she wanted to see Richard again, and how she would break the news to her parents. At least they hadn't yet sent in an announcement to the newspaper, because of the disastrous engagement photos.
Later that night, Joey came back to the apartment to dress for his date with Amber.
Chandler was talking to Carol and Susan on the phone, arranging a meeting so they could discuss stuff. "Okay, thanks." He hung up and glanced at the clock. "So... you're going out with Amber, huh?"
"Yeah," Joey said, going to the door to grab his coat and keys.
"Are you gonna stay there all night, because, um, I don't want to be around if you're bringing her back here."
Joey shrugged. "No, I guess I'll camp out with her again."
Chandler frowned and looked hurt, but said nothing.
Joey said with a sigh, "Look, maybe I'll stay on her boat instead. Good night." He left.
Alone, Chandler collapsed on the yellow couch and moaned. Why couldn't Joey love him too? He had felt so sure when Joey kissed him last night. He had felt special and wanted and loved, more than he had felt with Monica for quite some time.
The chick and the duck, who had been confused by all the moving and crying today, came over to Chandler curiously. They clucked and quacked as if to ask, "What's wrong?"
Chandler whispered, "He--he kissed me, but he doesn't love me. It didn't mean anything to him."
They reacted sympathetically and stayed near him all night.
