Joey and Chandler made love for hours that night; it wasn't just sex anymore, it meant something now. They kept kissing and confessing their love to each other, as if they couldn't get enough of sharing those precious words. Joey felt very happy that Chandler finally believed him and returned his feelings.
"I was, I was just so scared before," Chandler whispered. "Scared that you'd hate me later."
"I know." Joey hugged him close in the darkness.
"And everybody else I ever loved, they left me. I just--I couldn't take it again. Believing in you, and losing you too."
"You won't, Chandler. I'm here for good, okay?"
"Okay." He sighed and repeated for the millionth time, "I love you."
"I love you too." They held each other and fell asleep at last.
When they woke up the next morning, they were still in love, and Chandler made no attempt to leave a note or say "Thank you" like had on other mornings. He just said "I love you" again and agreed that they would date and be a real couple now.
But as Chandler got dressed for work, he had to put on his wedding ring again. Some doubts returned, and he asked Joey, "Y-you sure you want us to date exclusively?"
"I'm sure." Joey kissed him and pulled him close. "I won't cheat on you, Chandler. Never."
"But you haven't had any practice at monogamy yet. Maybe you need some time to get used to--"
Joey shook his head and squeezed Chandler's hand. "What do you think I've been doing this past month, huh? We've been married, and have you seen me chasing after girls? No. You and me weren't even having sex then, but I was here, with you. The whole time."
Chandler nodded and apologized for doubting him. "I'm sorry. I just, I get afraid."
"I know." Joey hugged him tighter.
After a silence, Chandler said, "Um, come to my office again. We should have lunch, and, and maybe ask them all for wedding presents or something."
Joey laughed and nodded. "Sure, I'll wear my ring then, and I'll tell your boss Doug to stop being so obnoxious, or we'll report him for sexual harassment, because he kept slapping your butt."
Chandler laughed too and kissed him lovingly. He sighed and hated to leave Joey's arms just yet.
Joey said, "I'll see you, then. Oh, and I better talk to Ross and Phoebe about the baby shower thing."
"Right. Tell them we'll see them some other time, I guess. And um, when Carol and Susan come over, we should ask them how to tell everybody about us, okay?"
"Okay." Joey was so happy that everything would be out in the open soon. Then Monica couldn't be smug about her new boyfriend, because she'd see that Chandler had moved on as well.
That morning, Joey went to talk to Ross at NYU. It was just after his class ended, and many paleontology students were filing out of the lecture room. Joey had to wait for the crowds to thin, then he finally entered the room.
But to his surprise, Joey caught Ross and Phoebe making out on the desk at the front of the room. "Ross?"
They broke away from each other and looked embarrassed.
Phoebe blushed and stammered, "J-Joey! What, what are you doing here?"
Ross said, "Phoebe was just--um, hormones, you know? She's pregnant."
"Uh, yeah, I heard about that," Joey said with a smile. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," they answered, and accepted his hugs nervously. They kept glancing at each other with guilt and wished they could be making out again.
Joey explained, "Uh, Chandler's happy for you too, and we're sorry we haven't seen you guys much lately."
"Oh that's all right," Ross dismissed it. "Everybody's busy sometimes."
Phoebe glanced at him as if she wanted to "get busy" right now.
Joey obliviously continued, "Yeah. Anyway, Rachel told us about your baby shower, but we can't go. Chandler just doesn't feel comfortable being around Monica yet, you know? So we thought instead that we could do other stuff, like help you move into Ross's place or something. As long as Monica's not there too."
"Oh, sure, we could do that. Just as long as we get to see you guys sometime."
Phoebe added, "I've already sort of started moving my stuff over to Ross's place, but we're still trying to figure out what to do with my apartment because Rachel said she's not moving out of Monica's anymore. Maybe I'll sublet it or something."
"Yeah," Ross agreed. "But we will be buying some baby furniture soon, so we'll call you guys to help put that stuff together."
"Great," Joey said and hugged them again. "We'll be there." He started to leave and wave goodbye to them.
Ross and Phoebe almost immediately started kissing again but had to break apart when Joey turned around.
"Oh, and we'll probably chip in for presents with Carol and Susan, so they'll bring those to the shower for us, okay?"
"Okay," Ross said nervously. "Bye. Tell Chandler hi for us."
"Sure. Bye." Joey finally walked away, and they waited until he walked out the door.
Then Phoebe pounced on Ross again.
Ross said, "You, you really gotta stop coming to my lectures, Pheebs. My students will see us together."
"So what if you're making out with the mother of your unborn child? It's better than the scene Rachel caused when she found out you guys were still married."
"I guess so." They started kissing again.
On Friday night, Monica and Rachel had their first coming out party at Carol and Susan's place, so that no one from the gang would know about it. Tonight's party would serve as a sort of dress rehearsal for tomorrow's baby shower, where the couple would come out to their friends and ex-lovers.
Carol and Susan had invited a mix of their gay, lesbian, and bisexual friends to the party. Some of the guests were couples, while others were single; some were young, while others were middle-aged or older. Everyone was friendly and supportive, wanting to make Monica and Rachel feel welcome in the community.
Fred asked, "Is it true that you two were so scared to ask for advice directly, that you sent your neighbors to ask for you?" They had all been told that Joey and Chandler, the original guests of honor for the coming out party, had only pretended to be gay to cover for Monica and Rachel.
Monica and Rachel nodded nervously, but Carol answered for them, "Well, they are all very close friends, really, and Monica has a very critical mother who's never approved of her. I know, 'cause she was my mother-in-law!"
A wise and kindly woman named Miriam observed, "It does get rather complicated when you're in the closet, doesn't it? Keeping secrets and living a false life and coming to terms with yourself all at once. You try so hard to live up to other people's expectations for you that you forget to think about living your own life and being happy."
Susan nodded. "Yes, that's part of why we're having this party, so that Monica and Rachel can see that coming out should be a good thing, not a stressful and traumatic one."
"It's a great idea!" said Fred's partner George, who had already drunk quite a bit of punch. "It's festive, and I think we should do it all the time. Ooh, my favorite song!" George pulled Fred over towards the stereo and enthusiastically started to dance to the music.
Everyone laughed and some couples decided to start dancing too. Rachel joked to Monica that Fred and George reminded her a little bit of Joey and Chandler.
Susan overheard them and remarked, "Yes, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Joey and Chandler turned out to be gay too."
Carol nudged her wife in the ribs for speaking too plainly, but Monica and Rachel suspected nothing, being used to the running joke that Joey and Chandler sometimes seemed closer than friends.
After more dancing and socializing, Carol and Susan announced that it was time for party games. For the first game, everyone had to tell the funniest or wackiest coming out story that they personally experienced or heard from other people. It was a very lively game, and Monica and Rachel had to judge whose story was the best.
By the time that Monica and Rachel selected the winner, they were feeling very relaxed and comfortable, so Carol suggested that it was time to hear the story of how they fell in love. "It doesn't have to be funny or wacky. Just tell us how you knew you loved each other."
So Rachel took Monica's hand and began, "Well, um, I guess we've always loved each other, deep down. We've been friends since we were six years old, and we grew up together. She knew me when I had my old nose, and I knew her when she was a lot heavier." She discreetly avoided mentioning the exact weight.
Monica said, "We were always there for each other, until we drifted apart after high school."
"Yeah, see, I-I got all caught up with those shallow rich girls that I met at college, and then I got engaged to Barry, this orthodontist guy. Everyone kept saying that this was my destiny, this was the life I was meant for, but on my wedding day I got cold feet and I ran. I just ran like crazy, and I went to Monica, and she helped me through it. She was so great; she took me in, she--she taught me how to follow my own heart and live my own life. It was like we'd never been apart. It was like she knew the real me."
Monica kissed her lovingly, "And you--you were there for me too. Whenever I needed to talk about my crappy love life or my job or my mother, you were there. And then that one time, when we kissed for a minute, because of the apartment switching with Joey and Chandler, I-I felt something. I liked kissing you a lot, and I got scared, and tried to hide my feelings from you. I panicked about whether I was ever gonna get married, especially with Ross getting engaged to Emily all of the sudden. I wore Emily's wedding dress and pretended we were playing brides again, like when we were little girls. And you know, in London, I got so drunk and depressed that I slept with Chandler and started this secret affair with him. I was so dumb."
"Oh, Mon," Rachel hugged her, "what about me? Going to London to stop Ross's wedding, like some crazy fool. But as soon as he divorced Emily, all my feelings for him went away, like nothing. It was just a memory, like when I slept with Barry again, just because of the history and the familiarity. Even though I knew better, I tried to do it again by marrying Ross in Vegas a couple of months ago, but it was just another dumb mistake. You're the Geller I belong with."
Monica had tears in her eyes. "Rachel... when you told me those stories about kissing your friends at camp and in college, and you kissed me again, it felt so right. And when we made love, and I woke up next to you, I knew that it wasn't just cold feet that made me back out of marrying Chandler in Vegas. I knew I loved you. I always--" She choked up, and Rachel held onto her tightly.
"I love you, too, Mon. I love you."
Everyone at the party was touched, and they raised a toast to wish the couple a lifetime of happiness together.
[to be continued with at least one more chapter.]
