A.N.  Hey everyone, here's chapter 7.  Sorry it took me a little while, I was blocked, but now I'm back on a roll.  Not much happens in this chapter but it's sort of long, and important to the story.  I hope you enjoy it, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!!! You guys are the greatest, I've said it before and I'm going to keep saying it.  :-)  READ, ENJOY, REVIEW.

~MADDY.

            It had been almost two months since their first date, although it felt much longer to both of them.  They were just hitting that stage of the relationship where things were starting to feel natural; they had had their first fight (neither could really remember what it was about, but Monica had cried; that's how she knew they were serious), he had met her parents, and had bonded with her friends (the five of them, plus Joey and sometimes Alyse, had become extremely close and hung out all the time). 

            Everything was going perfectly, and they were beginning to find a rhythm.  The only thing that hadn't happened was… well, that.  They were still taking it on the slow side, which basically had progressed to everything but the main event.  It was tricky with Alyse; he couldn't stay at her place all night, and didn't want Monica spending the night with Alyse there just yet- those were clever excuses, but they both knew there was something else.

            The something else was, Alyse adored her.  Monica knew it and loved it; Chandler knew it and feared it.  He was afraid that she would get too attached, and that if something happened (as he knew it was bound to; things couldn't stay this perfect forever), Alyse would be hurt.  It had always been the two of them, Chandler and Alyse, sort of together against the whole world.  And now this woman, this funny, kind, beautiful creature had penetrated their little bubble, had worked her way into their hearts.  It always came back to the fact that in his life, he was, and always would be, making decisions that would affect two people, not one.  So for now, he was holding off on the one thing that would bring their relationship to the last level.  Because besides sex, there was nothing else keeping them from that level.  He knew everything about her, and she about him.  Well, almost everything.  Everything except the one secret he kept bottled inside from everyone.  The one secret she'd never get him to tell, if he had anything to do about it.

            Chandler, Monica and Alyse were watching a movie one freezing cold day after Alyse had gotten home from school.  Chandler and Monica each occupied an armchair, and Alyse sat on the floor while Monica french braided her hair.

            "You guys aren't even watching," Chandler said, frustrated.

            "Yes we are," Monica said. 

            "Yeah.  That car's chasing that car.  I'm totally invested in this storyline," Alyse said sarcastically.  Monica laughed.

            "Hey, don't laugh at that.  No ganging up on me," Chandler said in mock anger.  "You're supposed to be my girlfriend, not hers."

            Monica finished wrapping the elastic band in Alyse's shiny light brown hair. 

            "Done," she proclaimed, standing to refill her water glass.  She stopped to kiss Chandler on the lips as she passed.  "And I am," she said.

            The buzzer sounded, and Monica hit the intercom in the kitchen.

            "Hello?"

            "Hi, it's Hannah's mom for Alyse," came the voice.

            "Hi, she'll be right down," Monica answered into the intercom.  Alyse was already packing her backpack.

            "I wish I could just not do this dumb project and hang out with you guys," Alyse grumbled.  "I bet you're going to meet everyone else, too."

            "No we're not," Chandler said, helping her zip it up.  "Besides, you need to get this done, and you haven't seen Hannah in a while."

            "Yeah.  Okay I'm ready.  I'll be back around six," she said, kissing her brother's cheek.

            "See ya," he said.  He watched as she hugged Monica.

            "Will you be here when I get back?" she asked, in hopeful tones.  Monica stroked her hair affectionately.

            "No, I have to go to work at five.  But I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

            "Fine," Alyse said, disappointed.  "Bye!"

            "Bye," Chandler and Monica chorused as she left the apartment.  The couple looked at eachother, each with a small smile tugging at their lips.  Monica made her way back to him and sat on the arm of his chair, swinging her legs across his lap.

            "And just what do you think you're doing over here?  Your chair is right there," he teased, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  Her sapphire eyes sparkled mischeviously and she shrugged her shoulders.

            "Thought you looked kinda lonely over here all by yourself," she said innocently.

            "Did you?"

            "Mm-hmm," she said, her head moving slowly towards his.  She brushed her lips against his softly, and he returned the kiss.

            "You know what we have here?" she asked, pressing her lips on his again, for longer this time.

            "Hmm?" he mumbled as her mouth trailed kisses from his mouth to his collarbone.

            "An empty apartment."  He nodded in agreement and his hand moved around to the back of her neck, bringing her lips back to meet his.  She shifted in position so that she was lying on top of him, and they continued to make out for several minutes.  Her shirt came off, then his.  The skin on skin sensation coupled with his tongue in her mouth and his hands roaming her body brought the now-familiar desire into her subconcsious, and without really realizing what she was doing her hand drifted slowly to unzip his pants.  He moved his hands to her shoulders and broke their kiss, pecking her forehead while he caught his breath.  She left her hand where it was and went to kiss him again, but he held her at arms length.

            "What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.  He kissed her cheek gently, and took her wandering hand in his own.

            "Nothing's wrong," he replied, still very much aroused.  He rested his forehead on hers.

            "Then… why are we stopping?" she asked, confused.  She sat up in his lap.

            "I was just getting a little too excited," he said.  "I know we've done more than that before, but today… I don't think I could have stopped."

            "So?" she looked at him pointedly.  He looked back, surprised.

            "I thought we were taking it slow," he said, taking his hands out of hers.

            "I thought we were waiting until we were ready," she said, more gently.  "And I am."

            He gazed into her eyes, stroking her face.  "I just want it to be special," he said.  It wasn't a complete lie.

            "It would be," she said quietly.

            "In a chair in the middle of my living room at 4pm?"

            "Okay, fine, I'm not pressuring you or anything," she said, standing.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

            "It's okay.  I have to get going for work anyway," she said, gathering her shirt and finding her purse.  She pecked him quickly, unfeelingly, on the lips, and turned to leave.  The "I'm-pissed-but-I'll-kiss-you-anyway" kiss.

            "Mon, wait," he said standing, catching her elbow.  "I really am sorry.  I know it would have been special.  I just want our first time to be… romantic, and amazing, and… unforgettable," he said, bringing her into an embrace.  She gave him a little smile.  "Forgive me?"

            She nodded into his chest.  "I love you," she said, quietly, but confidently.  He was shocked to silence for a few moments, his mouth unable to form the words, his voice unable to sound them.  She stayed in his arms, content to have said it herself.

            "I love you too," he finally managed, squeezing her tighter. 

            "I didn't say it for you to say it back," she said seriously, looking up to see him.

            "I didn't say it because you said it first," he replied.  "I love you."  She grinned.

            "Okay."

            "I can't believe she offered to sleep with you and you said no," Joey said later that afternoon.  "God, what the hell is wrong with you?"

            "I just wanted it to be the right time, and the right place," he explained. 

            "Look, next time, just do yourself a favor and have sex with her, okay?  Take it from a guy who's been there- it's not something you'll regret," Joey said suggestively.  Chandler looked at him in disgust.

            "Let's add that to the list of things about you and Monica that I don't ever want to hear about," he said. 

            "Sorry, man.  So… this is serious, huh?" 

            Chandler smiled.  "She said she loves me."  Joey nearly dropped his sandwich.

            "Oh dear god, what did you say?" he asked.  "You screwed it up, didn't you?"
            "No.  I said I loved her." 

            Joey patted him on the back excitedly.  "That's awesome!  Congratulations!"

            "What are you so smiley about?" Rachel asked her roomate after she got home from work that night.  "Oh my god, you and Chandler finally had sex!"

            Monica shook her head.  "I wish."

            "My god, what the hell is wrong with that guy?"

            "He said he wants it to be romantic," Monica defended.  "I'm fine with that."

            "Really?  Because after the intense arguments you've been picking with Ross and the way you snapped at me this morning over a dead lightbulb, I'd say you are seriously sexually frustrated."

            Monica pushed her friend playfully.  "I already apologized for the lightbulb thing.  And we all know Ross is just irritating."

            "True," Rachel agreed.  "You still didn't answer me about why you're in such a good mood, if you didn't get some."

            Monica grinned.  "We said the 'I-love-you's." 

            "Aww, how cute are you?" Rachel asked affectionately.  "That's great, Mon."

            "Yeah… it is."

            "So seriously though, sex when?"

            Monica threw her head back against the couch.  "I don't know," she said frustratedly.  "But I'm still kinda on the high from the I-love-you, so don't ruin it."

            She loved him, he thought to himself incredulously for the millionth time that night.  He couldn't sleep; he'd just been thinking about her nonstop.  Monica loved him.  And he loved her, and he had told her he did.  Screw the next level stuff.  They were there.  What's done is done, he decided.  Sex wouldn't change the investment both of them had already made.  It wouldn't make him love her more, make Alyse more attached to her than she already was.  He spent the last 13 years running, and now he was going to do his best to stop.  She loved him.

            It was almost one o'clock in the morning, but he had to see her.  Alyse had spent the night at Hannah's (apparantly she wasn't that concerned about being left out by the gang; Hannah's mom had made brownies and they had rented some cheerleading movie, and that had pretty much sealed the deal for Alyse).  She wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning. 

            Screw it, he thought to himself as he tied his shoes and locked the door behind him.

            He tried the door before knocking, and it was unlocked, which meant one of them was up.  Rachel was sitting on the couch watching infomercials when he walked into the apartment.

            "Hey, what are you doing here?" Rachel whispered.

            "I have to see Mon," he said.  "What are you doing up?"

            "I couldn't sleep, but I'm gonna try again," she said, smiling at him knowingly. 

            "You shouldn't be in here with the door unlocked this late," he admonished.

            "Shut up and go wake her up."

            "Yes ma'am," he said with a mock salute as he walked towards Monica's bedroom and opened the door carefully.

            She was sleeping on her side, one arm tucked under her pillow, her breathing steady and rythmic.  He crept onto the bed beside her, almost on top of her, and kissed her nose gently.  She scrunched it, which almost made him laugh, but she was so beautiful when she was asleep he was left in awe of her.  Her dark hair spread out in silken waves upon her pillow.  He pressed his lips against hers, and this time she stirred. 

            She woke slowly to the feeling of someone kissing her, and an odd weight on one side of her body.  She looked at her visitor and grinned sleepily.

            "Hey you," she said, stretching her arms and propping herself up on one elbow.

            "Hey," he said.  "I'm sorry I woke you up, but I couldn't stop thinking about you."

            "I'm not sorry," she said, stroking his cheek.  He wrapped his arms around her.

            "Did Rachel let you in?"

            "The door was unlocked," he said, kissing her cheek.  Monica shook her head in frustration.

            "She can't keep doing that, I swear some day-" she was cut off by Chandler kissing her passionately. 

            "Someday…?" he prompted after they came up for air.

            "I forget what I was saying," she admitted, kissing his face and neck.  He reached under the covers to remove her nightgown.  She looked at him, amused.

            "You sure you want to do this?" she asked as he kissed her again longingly.

            "I'm sure," he said, kissing her neck.  She arched her back in response.

            "What about waiting for the perfect moment?" she murmered, running her fingers through his hair.  He stopped and looked her in the eyes.

            "We're in a bed.  Does that work?"

            "That works."

            They got very little sleep.

Okay, so I know this whole chapter was pretty much pure fluff with barely any other characters and that nothing earth shattering happened… but I kinda thought it would be cute, and that you guys needed a little shot of cuteness before things got complicated.  :=)  I hope you didn't hate it!  Review please.