Chapter 2:

It was official, he didn't like being the one waiting for his date to arrive. At least when he was going to pick someone up he was doing something. But now he'd already done everything. Showered, dressed, got flowers and chocolate, set up the apartment for later - if Rachel wanted to stay a bit after dinner. All that was left was to wait and it suuuucked. He paced back and forth, occasionally smoothing his tie or smelling his armpits to make sure his anxious sweat didn't stink through his deodorant.

Finally, a knock.

He practically ran to the door, pulling it open to greet Rachel, but when he laid eyes on her, he just stood there. Even halfway through her second trimester she was gorgeous. He looked her down and up, from her shoes to her black bodycon dress, and finally to her eyes. She smiled at him, small and almost shy, and he managed a doofy lopsided grin in return.

"Hi," she said. Joey could see the pink flush climbing up her chest and neck and for a split second he imagined with perfect clarity, what it would be like to follow it with his lips.

"H-hi," he repeated, snapping out of his daydream and stepping back so she could come in. "I… just gotta get my coat." Practically running to his room to get it, Joey stumbled on his way back out, almost tripping before he caught himself. "You look…" Joey didn't have words, but to be fair he was pretty sure the words didn't exist, so he just gestured to all of her.

"Yeah," she smiled, ducking her head. "You too."

Quiet stretched out before them, but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, it just was. He closed the space between them and reached out, timidly touching her fingertips with his own. "You ready?"

She looked at their hands, and then up at him, smiling. "Yeah. Let's go."

"The same restaurant?" Rachel laughed. "On our second date you're taking me to the same restaurant as the first one?" Joey pulled out her seat for her, scooting it in as she sat.

"We had a great time on that date," Joey said, sitting in his own seat. "And I wasn't going to jinx it by taking you to the place we were at last night. Don't want to try my luck."

"That's fair," Rachel agreed. "We probably shouldn't get the lobster again, though." Her face twisted and Joey's eyes went wide.

"I forgot about the lobster," he said. The conversation paused as the waiter came and took their orders, but picked right back up once he had left.

"How could you forget," Rachel asked. "We were both up all night with food poisoning. I can only imagine how bad doing laundry was for you that week."

"Uh… actually," Joey admitted sheepishly. "I didn't have food poisoning."

Rachels' brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? Remember I asked if you felt funny after our date and you said yes and then we talked about it. You said you'd been puking in your hamper."

"I… may not have been totally honest." He admitted. "When you asked if I felt funny after our date, I thought you were talking about… Well, I felt funny about you. But when I realized you meant something else, I couldn't tell you what I really meant so I just, sortta, went along with what you were saying."

"Oh," Rachel said softly. "Joey I… I'm sorry." She reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "It must have been hard, feeling that way and feeling like you had to hide it."

"Don't be," Joey said. "It's the past. And anyway here we are now and I refuse to let that date ruin this one." He lifted his hand - and in turn, hers - and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

Not that he needed to worry about it. The dinner went really well. They talked, and laughed, and flirted. Just like they always did, but it was more now, somehow. Maybe it was intent. That they both knew what was happening and how they felt. Maybe it was the possibility of hope.

Rachel was starting to get cranky because the wait for their food was getting a little too long, but he'd anticipated this. She was hungry pretty often these days, and Joey pulled out the chocolate he'd brought with. She didn't eat much, just a few pieces like her doctor had advised, but it drove the hangry back. They ate an ungodly amount of food between the two of them, even sharing a fruity dessert. Joey didn't have any leftovers, but he held Rachels as they walked up the street and back toward his apartment.

Now, nearly home again, Joey couldn't help smiling as they talked about their childhoods. "Man, growing up in Queens is different than your life."

"It sure seems that way. Your sisters must have driven you crazy." Rachel brushed her fingers with his as they walked, an invitation to hold hands? He wasn't sure as they started the climb upstairs.

"They still do," he admitted. "Pretty happy to have them, though." With that, too much time had passed to act on the invitation and they arrived outside his door. They lingered, trading shy looks, both unsure what to do next. Finally Joey said, "Do uh, do you wanna go or…? I mean, it's not late. You could stay a little longer if you want."

Rachel nodded. "I'd like that," she said eagerly.

"Okay, I just need a minute in the apartment to get settled." He handed her the bag with her leftovers and nodded to Chandler and Monica's door across the hall. "Can you… put your leftovers in Monica's fridge?"

"Joey," Rachel said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Do not be naked when I get back."

"How did you know that move?" He feigned shock. "You been talking to the cute barista?"

"Gunther?" Rachel grinned.

"Rachel Green," he all but growled. She looked very pleased with herself. "Go on. Put your food away." She turned and walked across the hall and Joey dashed into his apartment.

He kicked off his shoes into his bedroom and then made a mad dash around the apartment lighting candles. By the time Rachel knocked, he'd just finished pouring drinks. Joey moved to the door and pulled it open, offering her a champagne glass in one hand and a lily in the other. "Oh hello," he said. "Come in."

She looked surprised, but in a pleasant way, smiling and taking the flower. "You know I can't drink," she reminded him.

"It's non alcoholic," Joey replied, pressing the glass into her hands. "I know you don't like the sparkling cider stuff, so I got something dry." He closed the door and moved to the kitchen counter lifting his own glass. "To a great date."

"To a great date," Rachel repeated. She didn't seem to really take in the apartment until she was sipping on her beverage. But once she swallowed, her eyes grew wide. "Wow, Joey. That's… a lot of fire."

He reached down and pulled up a fire extinguisher, placing it on the kitchen bench. "What?" He asked when she looked at it. "I'm pretty, but I'm not stupid."

"No," she agreed slowly. "No, you are not stupid." Something about the way she said it made his cheeks heat and he was glad for the ephemeral flicker of candlelight to hide it.

"So, uh, anyway." He moved past her and into the living room. "I was gonna put a blanket down and have like a post-dinner picnic, but then I remembered how hard it is for you to get up now. So I," he gestured to the couch. "Thought we'd just sit here."

Rachel walked to the couch and sat on it, sighing in the comfort being there brought. It felt like coming home. She placed her lilly on the table as Joey sat beside her and sipped his drink. "Do you feel weird?" She asked. Joey shrugged. "Like last time?" He shrugged again. "Okay, Joe, you gotta talk or this is gonna be real awkward, okay." She turned slightly right to face him.

"Fine," he agreed,moving to face her too. "How do you feel?" Didn't seem fair they were only talking about his feelings.

"Me?" She took another drink. "Weird isn't the right word. I feel something. It's hard to explain." He tried to keep the frustration from his face but she must have noticed it anyway. "I'll try." She looked at her glass, not him, but she tried.

"Well, first I feel like I'm home again," she admitted. "Which is nice. I feel like a house guest at Ross'." Her fingertips trailed along the back of the yellow sofa. "And I feel anxious. Like…" She breathed a small puff of amusement. "Well, like I do at the end of a date." Joey nodded, still quiet, worried if he spoke he'd break whatever spell this night had cast. "I feel distance."

That surprised him out of his silence. "Distance?" Rachel put her glass on the coffee table, then took his from his hand and placed it beside hers.

"Like you're far away," she whispered. She tangled their fingers together, holding his hand and pulling him toward her. It was a simple, innocent touch. One they'd shared hundreds of times over the last eight years, but it made his pulse quicken anyway. He looked down at their joined hands and then up at Rachel as she continued. "Like you're afraid to get close." She tugged again and he moved obligingly, close enough now that she had to look up at him, blue eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

"I promise," he said in a graveled whisper. "I want to get close. I do." With surprise he realized he didn't just mean their bodies. Obviously, he was attracted to her, but whatever this was, was more than a physical craving.

"I feel warm," she continued. "Nervous." She paused, her breath catching before she finished with a whisper. "Excited."

Joey let out a soft sigh and scooted closer to her. He lifted a hand to her cheek gently, fingers trembling when she canted her head to follow his touch. "I don't feel weird," Rachel finished, and when she looked up at him his heart stopped.

"Rachel," he managed, voice quivering. "Can I kiss you?"

"I wish you would," she sighed. He leaned forward slanting his lips over hers and… melted. It wasn't the roaring fire of desire he'd been expecting from himself, realizing this moment after all this time. But the tender brushing of skin, the slow exploration, savoring the way she tasted of chocolate and champagne and her. It was not a chaste kiss by any means, the power of it knocked him upside his head and set it reeling, but it was unrushed.

Time lost meaning and he didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but when they finally came apart, foreheads resting together and both smiling, he was panting. "Wow," Rachel whispered.

"Wow," Joey agreed. For a few moments they just breathed, but soon he pulled her into his lap and kissed her again.

This one built to heat far more quickly and he found himself licking his way into her mouth. Felt her increase the slant of it to kiss him more deeply. Felt their control slipping away, dissolved by the undeniable chemistry catalyzing between them. Rachels hands pulled at his tie, loosening it. His hands gripped her hips, turning her so she straddled him.

Her tight dress slipped up as she did, exposing her thighs, and he could feel the heat between them as she pressed her hips down. His growing erection kicked and Rachel moaned against his lips. She threw his tie aside and started on the buttons of his shirt, movements becoming frantic with want. She only managed the top two before his hands caught her wrists, gently stilling her.

The kiss broke and she leaned back, looking down at him confused, eyes almost hurt. "What…?"

He shook his head. "We… I…" Fuck, it was hard to think right now.

Rachel pulled her hands back and he let them go. "You don't want to?"

"Want to?" He sounded a bit panicked, even to himself. "Fuck Rachel you think I don't want to? Don't want you?" He returned his hands to her hips and pressed their bodies close. Let her feel how much he wanted her. "I've never wanted anything so much in my life." His heart pounded and his head swam, but Joey fought to keep focused. "I just don't want to rush into… you're not some score, Rachel. This wouldn't just be a fuck, not for me."

"And you're afraid it is for me?" She reached up, taking his face in her hands. "Joe." She leaned down and kissed him again. It was so soft and slow that his heart skipped and he gasped against her lips. Joey wasn't sure he'd ever been kissed like that, and it did nothing to clear his head. When she stopped kissing him she didn't move away, he could feel her breath on his lips as she spoke. "I want you," she whispered. Her voice quivered, and her hands shook but she still didn't move to pull away. "When you're ready."

Joey wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as close as he dared. Several long minutes passed before either of them spoke again. "Also," Rachel laughed softly. "I conceived my baby on this couch so maybe our first time should be somewhere else." Bright, delighted laughter bubbled out of Joey and he pressed a kiss to her jaw.

"I don't think I'm going to be ready tonight," he admitted. "But, would you stay? I… can put sheets on your old bed and -" Rachel placed a finger across his lips, silencing him.

"I'll stay," she said. "If you'll hold me."

Joey kissed her finger, then moved it aside to kiss her lips briefly. "I'll hold you as long as you want."

"Good." She nodded, then slipped from his lap and straightened her skirt. "C'mon, then, let's go to bed."

Forcing himself to shove aside a whimper at the loss of contact, Joey got to his feet. "Okay I'll just get some sheets and…" he trailed off as he watched Rachel walk away. Maybe she was thirsty? But she didn't go to the kitchen, she headed straight for his room.

A few moments after she disappeared inside she called back, "Are you coming?"

"Fuuuck," he shivered, that voice, those words, nearly robbing him of every ounce of discipline he'd managed to claw free. "Yeah, um, just gonna…. Brush my teeth."

He closed the bathroom door behind him and Joey leaned back against it and taking a deep breath. How was he supposed to sleep with Rachel in his bed? Maybe he wasn't? Finally, he let the whimper out. Being responsible with people's feelings was hard, and inconvenient, he decided. Obviously, none of this was going to be easy. But it was Rachel. It was worth it. He could do it for Rachel. To keep her safe, to be kind to her, good to her.

He brushed his teeth vigorously before engaging in the complicated song and dance that was peeing with an erection - standing far back from the toilet, leaning over with a hand on the wall, and making it work. By the time he washed his hands and headed back into the living room, he'd gained a little more calm.

There was an awful lot of fire in here, and as much as he'd joked about it, he really didn't want to leave it for the night. Rachel was waiting for him, however, so he went around the apartment quickly, blowing out the candles and cracking a window to pull the smoke out before making for his room.

The door was open, and the room lit by a single large candle in a jar. Rachel must have brought it in while he was in the bathroom. She was in one of his shirts, laying in his bed, with the bottom half of her body covered with his blanket.

"You're incredible," he said softly, moving into the room properly and unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way. He shrugged it off as Rachel waved dismissively.

"I'm in your ratty old yankee's shirt," she objected. "With smeared lipstick and messy hair, probably."

"You're in my shirt," he agreed, eyes tracing over every curve. "And in my bed. And you're the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen." Her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head as he removed his trousers and shoes. He considered sliding into bed in just his boxers but he was sure he'd go absolutely crazy with so little between them. Joey went to his dresser pulling out a pair of fuzzy pajama pants and tugging them on before he moved to slide into bed beside her.

Instantly, Rachel moved closer, wrapping around him and resting her head on his chest. He blinked back surprise and lifted his arm to rest across her back.

"I like these," she said softly, fingers touching his thigh and the fabric covering it. "They're so soft."

Skin prickling into gooseflesh, Joey nodded. "Yeah, they're real cozy." Her hand moved upward, trailing along but carefully avoiding his crotch as she went - not that it prevented a new erection. Fingertips brushed the skin of his abdomen, then went up his side, over his shoulder and down his arm like she was memorizing every dip.

Despite their closeness, and Rachel's wandering touches, Joey found himself exhausted. The stress of the last few days coupled with the crash from the adrenaline of tonight meant he was bound to drift off soon. Luckily, by the slowing of Rachel's fingers and breathing, it seemed she wasn't too far from dreams herself.

"Rache?" He whisper-mumbled.

"Hmmm?"

"Promise you'll be here when I wake up?" Humming her promise, she nodded softly, hair rubbing against his chest with the movement. Joey summoned all his energy to lift his upper body and press a kiss to the top of her head. "Don't be a dream," he pleaded as sleep finally won out and darkness took him.