A/N: I was going to write 'That Thing Called Love', I really was, but this fic drew me like a moth to a flame, and who am I to deny my muse?

This chapter is my homage to the ever-beautiful song 'Make You Feel My Love', and, of course, to the song that this fic is a namesake of - 'If It's Love'.

If It's Love

Chapter 8

Since the first time he slept with Monica, Chandler had remained happily oblivious to Kip's existence in this world, until this day.

Tall, blond, muscular, and blue-eyed — Kip was everything that he was not. Not that he considered himself hideous-looking. No, he knew he was relatively handsome. But he was not the real-life Ken doll. Kip was the real-life Ken doll.

But then, that was his thing - attractive roommates.

To him, Kip's good looks didn't take on any significance until Kip started going out with Monica. It made him even more insecure when this thing between him and Monica started, but Monica gave him no reason to feel so. After all, why would you feel insecure in something that wasn't even a relationship?

Chandler climbed up the stairs to his apartment slowly, ambivalence filling him. He didn't know what to think of his unexpected meeting with Kip. He didn't know what to do with what Kip had told him. Although he had promised himself earlier that he'd tell Monica tonight as to how he felt, he was having second thoughts now.

He didn't know whether he should tell her that he loved her, but there was one thing that scared him the most — he didn't know whether she would say it back.

He was used to being rejected by women, but with Monica, it would be different. If she rejected him, he'd fall into an endless, dark abyss, with no hope of returning to the surface.

He reached their floor and tried Monica's door, frowning when he found it locked. Why wasn't she home yet? The rain was pounding now, and he could hear a very long and loud clap of thunder.

Suddenly worried, he ran over to his apartment, opening the door to find Joey standing near the window, watching the rain. "Hey, Joe, have you seen Monica? Has she come back from work?" he asked, holding the door open as he stood at the threshold.

"No," Joey frowned and shook his head. "I thought she was already home. She's not here yet? God, it's horrible out there!" he pointed out the window, moving toward Chandler, concerned. "I'll- I'll call up the restaurant and ask. Why don't you go downstairs and see?"

"Okay," Chandler nodded, hurrying out the door. By the time Joey turned to remind him to take an umbrella, he was gone.

~.~

Raindrops hit the front steps of the building and spattered from it. He pulled his coat closer to his body, pulling up the collar around his neck. He kept glancing back to see whether Joey was coming to let him know that Monica was still at work. He hoped she was still at work, rather than having been caught in this nasty downpour.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground, and he covered his ears, anticipating the thunder that was sure to follow. He closed his eyes, remembering the one rainy night they'd spent together in the very beginning. May, he told himself, that night in May.

That was the first night she had sneaked into his apartment. He remembered that she had snuggled close to him, saying that she couldn't sleep. I've seen way too many horror movies to know that no good comes out of being alone during thunder and rainstorm, she'd told him, smiling, embarrassed. He remembered that weird, fluttery feeling in his heart when she had kissed his cheek, telling him that she was glad that he was there next to her.

He now knew what that feeling was.

He opened his eyes, looking at the street. This time though, he could see a lone figure walking slowly in his direction, unmindful of the torrential rain. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was indeed Monica. With no umbrella, she kept walking slowly, her wet clothes clinging to her body.

He knew she hadn't seen him. Frowning, he ran toward her in the rain, cursing himself for not having the presence of mind to bring an umbrella. "Mon?" he grasped her shoulder, pulling her with him as he started to jog toward their building. "Monica, you'll catch your death out here! Why- why are you even in the rain? Walk faster!"

She faced him, her eyes red-rimmed. "I got fired, Chandler," she said softly, her voice catching in her throat.

"What?" he asked, shocked, stopping still in his rapid walk.

"They fired me for taking a kickback," her voice broke. "I never took a kickback," she shook her head, burying her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

He stood still, trying to take in what she was saying. They'd fired her? But she'd gotten promoted just the previous day...

Another thunder reminded him where they were, and he gently squeezed her arm, urging her to start walking again. "Let's get you out of the rain first," he said softly. "It will be okay, Mon. I promise."

"No!" she pulled herself from his grasp, her voice rising an octave. "No, Chandler! It's not okay, it will not be okay! I don't have a job. I don't have a roommate. I have no idea how I'm going to afford this place now. I got fired for taking a kickback, and God knows how long it will be before I find another job! I was the head lunch-chef yesterday, and now..." she trailed off, losing steam, her voice softening, "now, I'm nothing." Her fingers futilely wiped the tears and raindrops running down her cheeks. "I'm nothing."

Her sudden outburst surprising him, he stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds.

"I didn't even take any kickback, Chandler," she repeated, her voice fragile and quivering. "It was a gift from the meat vendor. Just a steak."

Steak? The steak that she had brought home a couple of days ago?

This was new to him. This was all new to him. He was so bad at consoling people. So much so that the one time he had tried consoling her had led him to falling in love with her. He stared at her, not knowing what to say, watching her tears mingle with the rain.

But this was Monica, his Monica.

"Oh, honey," he sighed, moving closer, wrapping his arms around her again when she didn't protest. "You'll get through this, Mon. You'll find another job, you're an amazing chef," he stroked her arm, pulling her closer to him. "And you know I'll always be there for you," he whispered into her wet hair. The cold was getting to him, and his teeth were beginning to chatter, but he held her trembling body close to his own, hoping he was providing her with some warmth.

She nodded slowly, eventually, "I know." She pulled away from him, wiping at her tears. "Let's go home."

~.~

"Oh, my God!" Joey exclaimed on seeing a completely soaked Monica and Chandler enter the apartment. "What the hell happened?"

Monica simply shook her head, pulling herself from Chandler's embrace to leave for his bedroom.

Joey stared at her walk away before turning to face Chandler, taking in his drenched clothes and tired face. The restaurant hadn't attended his call, and he had no idea what had happened between Chandler and Monica, but at that moment, like the many others in the past few months, he just wanted to pull them both in front of him and tell them to quit playing this twisted little game.

How could Chandler still not have told her? How could she still not have realized it?

Joey sighed, stroking his forehead. "I know I promised not to talk about this again," he looked up at him. "But just tell her, Chandler," he pleaded. "I like you guys a lot. I really do. And the last thing I want is for either of you to get hurt." He came forward, placing a hand on Chandler's arm. "I know she feels the same way about you. I can see it from the way she looks at you. Just tell her that you love her."

Chandler stared ahead at his closed bedroom door, remaining silent. He no longer possessed the strength to deny it. He felt weak, defeated. "She just lost her job, Joe," he said finally, a sense of hopelessness filling him.

"Oh," Joey's shoulders slumped. This indeed was no moment for professing love.

Chandler removed his wet coat and dropped it to the floor, the damp garment landing heavily on the ground. "I should be with her now," he murmured, pointing at his bedroom.

"Yeah," Joey nodded, moving away. "Okay."

He entered his bedroom to find Monica curled up on his bed, tears seeping through her closed eyes. He went to his closet, grabbing two of his t-shirts and boxers before he turned to her. "Mon, change into this," he patted her shoulder and extended a pair toward her.

"I called my parents last night to tell them I got promoted," she mumbled into the pillow, without turning to face him.

He placed the clothes on the bed and sat down beside her. "It's just a job, Monica. You'll find another one."

"What will I tell my parents now?" She sat up slowly, pulling the t-shirt to her. "What will I tell my mother?"

He remained silent.

"It took me three years to get here, you know?" she said quietly, peeling off her wet clothes.

"I know," he nodded, removing his own shirt. "But you have us. I'm sure you'll find another job soon, and until then, if you need any help at all, we're all here for you," he said earnestly. "Come here," he murmured, pulling her to him. "You'll have me. You'll always have me."

'Always' was a promise. She knew that. It was an immense promise, and the fact that he was willing to make that promise for her, scared her and made her heart beat fast, all at once. She placed her hand on his nape and pressed her lips hard against his, her kiss clumsy and urgent.

He was surprised by her sudden move but responded nonetheless. Her breath was beginning to quicken. She trailed kisses along his neck and shoulder as she moved his hand from her waist to her back, placing it on her bra clasp. Her lips returning to his, she nibbled on his lower lip, begging for entrance. He could sense a desperation in her kisses that hadn't been there since their first night together. She wanted to ease her sadness, alleviate her pain.

He slowed the kiss down and moved his hand to her cheek, brushing his fingertips against her skin. When he pulled away from her, she held his shoulders tightly.

"I need this, Chandler," she whispered weakly as he stroked her hair. "Please..."

"Aren't you on your period, Mon?" he reminded her softly.

She wanted to laugh. He remembered, but she had forgotten it until this moment. "Yeah," she nodded, moving away from him. "I forgot," she smiled wryly, tears springing back to her eyes. She discarded all her wet clothing and pulled on the t-shirt that he had given her. "Today is just not my day, is it?" she sniffed slightly.

He pulled on his own dry clothes, his brain telling him that there was only one thing that might cheer her up. With much apprehension, he started reluctantly. "I ran into Kip today."

She looked at him like he had slapped her across the face.

Watching the color drain from her cheeks, he continued slowly. "He and Julia have split up." He had expected this piece of information to cheer her up, but he was surprised when her expression turned even gloomier. He didn't say the rest of what Kip had told him.

It just didn't work out, you know? I should never have let Monica go. I think about her every day, Chandler. I made a mistake, a really huge mistake.

His heart burned when he even imagined Kip thinking about Monica. Kip had had his chance with her, but he screwed it all up. He no longer possessed the right to even think about her.

She was his now. She was his alone.

"It all seems so futile," she said after several seconds of silence.

"What?"

"Life," she sighed. "Love." She tilted her head to one side, tears glistening in her eyes. "There are no happy endings, are there?"

"Mon, don't say that," he pulled her into a hug, kissing her hair.

"I thought he left me because he was in love with this woman," she murmured against his shoulder. "I thought he had found love, Chandler, but it's not even been a year, and they've already separated?" She tightened her arms around his neck. "What happened to love, Chandler?"

He closed his eyes tightly when tears stung them and tried desperately to slow his breathing. He felt like his heart might explode. "I don't know, Mon," he lied finally. He wanted to motion between them and say 'this happened', but he didn't. He lied, "I don't know."

"Me neither," she shook her head, oblivious to the fact that she was breaking his heart. She pulled back in his arms, her glassy eyes meeting his. "Can you just hold me tonight?" she asked him, her voice soft and childlike.

He nodded as he lay down, pulling her with him. "Anything, Mon," he murmured when she placed her head on his chest. "Anything for you."

Anything to make you feel my love.

~.~.~

A/N: Don't know why, but I enjoyed writing this chapter so very much...

My thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter - Amelia Lauren, Matteney, Mia Fitzpatrick, Veridissima, ScandalousScavos (I've been meaning to thank you for quite some time now, but I wasn't able to pm you... anyway, thank you, I'm glad you like the way I write C&M :D), MatTeneyMoNdlerLoVer, RandomNews3, Shyfighter, and guests (1-6). I appreciate each and every kind word of encouragement :)

And Monica – very few people review each and every chapter in a fic when the story has already progressed to about 7 chapters. Thank you, I'm happy you're enjoying the story and I really appreciate you taking the time to say so :)

The next chapter is all written and ready to be posted, but I haven't proofread it yet. I wanted this and the following chapter to be a single part, but then it became too long.

You will find another 'If It's Love' update in a day or two. In the meantime, you know what to do :)