Chapter 4
Thanks for the feedback guys; I really appreciate the support I'm getting on this story. As from here on out, the tone should be a bit lighter than previous chapters but I do hope to keep that emotional element involved.
Also, I realised that I had totally forgotten the whole pregnancy thing that Rachel no doubt would be feeling at this point in the timeline. To accommodate to my mistake, let's just say that Rachel and Ross did sleep together that one night but she didn't end up getting pregnant. Normally I like to keep my stories as authentic as possible but at this point, adding in Rachel's pregnancy will have alter the tone and plot line so let's pretend it never happened.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and be sure to leave a review if you have any comments or suggestions.
…
Rachel awoke to the smell of smoke and something burning, sitting up abruptly. She rubbed her eyes, removing the sleep from them, and looked around the unfamiliar room. For a moment, she began to panic as she had no idea where she was but soon, reality began to sink in and what she had perceived to merely be a dream was in fact, real life.
She groaned and fell back in bed, wanting to close her eyes and shut out the rest of the world. She wasn't ready to deal with everything right now, especially him, and she began to wonder how she was going to act around him. The doctor's warnings of revealing her emotions to him echoed through her head and she knew that if she ever wanted the real Ross back, her Ross back, she'd have to keep it inside. Now the question was how long can she keep it hidden from him, especially since she was now living with him? It's not like she's never done this before; in fact, she was pretty much an expert at this point. But this time felt different. This time, it was as if she had fallen in love with him all over again.
A sigh escaped her mouth and she ran her fingers through her flourishing blonde hair. She didn't know the time but it was too early to get up yet. She's never been a morning person and perhaps a few more minutes in bed will save her some minutes before the inevitable happens and she runs into him.
As she turned to her side, hoping to rest and fall back to sleep, the same smell of smoke passed by her nostrils and instantly, her eyes shot open. She sat up again, sniffing the air and looking at the door to her bedroom. She figured that since the fire alarm hasn't gone off, it probably wasn't serious. She also concluded that he was up as well and as much as she didn't want to face him just yet, she knew she had to eventually.
After forcing herself up and doing a couple morning stretches, she walked across the room and grabbed some clothes from a small duffle bag Joey had sent over last night. Since it was a Saturday, she felt like wearing something comfortable, but also attractive and opted for a nice white sweater with gray sweatpants. It was a cute little outfit, exactly what she wanted. Back when she and Ross had dated, she found out that he actually liked the cute, attractive look more than the slutty, putting-it-all-out-there one. Hopefully, wearing something that he liked will help bring back memories from the past.
Before she left, Rachel spent a few moments admiring the room. Unlike the one she had at Joey's, it was comfortable and relaxing. There were no strange smells in random corners, nor were there morning opera singers across the street. It felt warm and cozy, and even contrary to her room at Monica's, it felt like hers. She had noticed that Ross hasn't changed a thing since when she almost moved in, back when they were legally married, and she had to wonder what life would have been like if they didn't had that fight over the divorce and she had ended up living here instead of at Joey's.
As she neared the kitchen, she immediately picked up the scent of smoke and when she rounded the corner, her eyes landed on the one person she both wanted and didn't want to see, reading the newspaper with a coffee in one hand and a plate of burnt toast in front of him.
"Good morning," she greeted after clearing her throat. Ross looked up from his paper and smiled, giving her butterflies in her stomach already.
"Morning. Care for some toast?"
She raised an eyebrow at his offer and stared at the plate of black toast on the table.
"Is that where the burning smell is coming from?"
Ross chuckled. "Yeah, I uh… I kind of forgot how to use the toaster."
She joined in the laughter, sitting down across from him and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Experience any other problems this morning?"
"Hmmm, well I did mistake soap with shampoo in the shower… oh, and I almost put on my shirt backwards as well but other than that, I think my memories are doing good so far."
Rachel forced a smile, knowing all too well of what his memory was lacking. She took a sip of her coffee, looking up at him and taking a double-take after something caught her eye. She stifled a laugh and he raised a questionable eyebrow.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh no, it's nothing," she said through a giggle and covered her mouth. "It's just that your shirt is backwards and inside out."
Ross looked down and sure enough, he noticed the tag dangling off from the front of his t-shirt. He looked at her and laughed, standing up and using the table to balance him as his legs still haven't gained enough muscle to support him yet.
As she laughed openly, she watched as he stood up and all of a sudden took off his t-shirt right in front of her. Her eyes went wide and she stopped her laughter to gaze upon his bare chest. Even with being in a coma for three months, his chest was defined and decently built and as she became mesmerized with his body, she began to feel an urge to get up and start kissing him.
"There, that better?"
The sound of his voice snapped her out of her fantasising and she immediately turned to find him seated back down with his shirt properly worn.
"Huh? Oh, yeah… yeah that's better," she flustered, looking away and hoping that he didn't catch her staring. Her face turned a bright shade of red from embarrassment and took a moment to calm herself down.
"So," she started after clearing her throat and turning back around, "got any plans for the day?" After the words left her mouth she silently kicked herself at the stupidity of her question. Ross also picked up onto the strange question and chuckled while giving an amused look.
"Not that I know of, otherwise I'd be three months late."
Rachel burst out laughing as if what he said was the funniest joke of the year. God, what is wrong with me? She questioned herself, at the same time; Ross just looked at her with the same amused look but with a hint of confusion.
"Um… ok. What about you? Do you have anything planned?"
"Well, I still have to move out of Joey's but that shouldn't take long. Other than that, I'm sure the other guys will want to hang out with us for a while, maybe at the coffee shop or something."
Ross nodded his head and took a bite of the burnt toast. "Yeah that sounds good. Just one question though."
"Sure, go ahead."
"Right, uh, which one's Joey?"
"He's the actor. You know,.…the Italian…a few inches shorter than you…loves women and sandwiches… He was the one checking out the nurses at the hospital yesterday." Ross just shook his head and she sighed. "I guess you'll see him later today."
"Sorry, I don't know why but my memories linked with you and the other guys don't seem to come to me as easy as other things. No offense or anything, but right now, all I know is that I have five friends, including my sister, who are complete strangers to me. I mean even now, I want to remember you and know who you are, but I don't."
She had to admit, his words hurt her a bit, but she knew that they weren't intentional. Instead she sucked up her own emotions and reached for his hand across the table, remembering that she of all people had to be strong for him.
"Hey, don't worry about it," she said with a convincing smile, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. "The doctor said that's totally normal and you'll get them back soon. Besides, that's why we're here, to help you."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks." He smiled back and she melted right there on the spot. She subconsciously continued to stroke his hand, lost inside his large, hazel eyes. All of a sudden, an idea popped into her mind and she straightened up.
"Actually, speaking of your memory, how about we walk around the city later this evening, just the two of us? I can re-introduce you to all the buildings and maybe you'll remember some of the more important places we go to."
"You know, that sounds like a really good idea. I'd love to re-acquaint myself and who better to show me around than my roommate?" Rachel's smile grew larger and he gave her hand a thankful squeeze before turning back to his food. He took another bite of the burnt toast and instantly, his facial expression turned sour. "Do you know any breakfast places around here? This toast is not working for me."
She giggled as he pushed the plate away. "We can go down to the coffee house to grab breakfast. The others are probably already there anyways."
"Great, I'll go change," Ross replied, standing up and taking a hold of the cane leaning against the table. "Thanks again for being so kind to me. Everything's kind of messed up right now and I really appreciate your company."
Rachel smiled at his honest words. "Anytime, I'll always be here for you."
He nodded and smiled back before heading to his bedroom, limping along as he attempted to walk without the help of the cane. Her eyes followed him as he left and when he disappeared, she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. At that moment, she realised her heart had been beating out of control that entire time and only now that he was gone was her heartbeat calming down.
She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, letting out a long sigh as she rubbed her eyes. Why must things be so complicated between them? If it's not someone, it's something that always keeps them apart. To make matters worse, she had essentially just asked him out on a date for later this evening and the was definitely not going to help her keep her abundance of emotions hidden from him. Fate just loved to toy with her feelings and watch her suffer.
After a moment to gather her bearings and another sigh, she gulped down the rest of her coffee in one go just as Ross re-appeared into the kitchen dressed in a blue cashmere sweater and dark pair of jeans. She couldn't help but look him up and down, unconsciously nodding in approval at his attractive look.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
Her head cocked up at his voice. "Hmm? Yeah, yeah! Let's go!"
Hastily, she headed for the door, avoiding his gaze as she quickly made her way out; leaving a very confused Ross left standing behind.
…
"And this… is Central Perk."
Rachel led Ross inside the brightly lit coffee house, guiding him forward through the doorway. They stopped near the doorway and she watched as his eyes moved across the room as if he was taking in it all at once. She too scanned the coffee house, realising that she had never actually taken the time to appreciate the decorations and design of the room. There had been new pictures hung up since she last worked here 4 years ago, and the tables and chairs in the back have been replaced with newer ones. She had to admit, the place really gave off that comfortable, home-like sense.
"This place feels so familiar," he commented while looking around, "it almost feels like it was… special in some way."
If only he knew just how special this place was. The coffee house was where she had first met most of the group back when she had run away from her wedding. It was also her first job, her first paycheck, and also the first place she could actually call "home". But, more importantly, it was also where they had their first kiss, sharing that magical moment only a few steps to the left of where Ross was standing now.
"Well, this is where we hang out most of the time so it is kind of special for us," she answered simply. Her eyes went to the orange couch and saw that she was right in assuming the others would be here. She grabbed Ross' arm and led him over, joining their conversation.
"Hey guys," she greeted with a smile and taking a seat on the armrest, leaving Ross awkwardly standing to the side. Even though he supposedly knew these people most of his life, at the moment, they were all strangers to him and he wasn't exactly sure if he was supposed to greet them as well or just kind of slip in.
The group said their "hi's" to Rachel and Ross scratched his head. But, before he made a decision of what to say, he was almost thrown off his feet by a tight hug followed by an ecstatic squeal.
"Hey brother! Oh, I can't believe you're actually back!" the black-haired woman exclaimed. He could have guessed that this was his sister as she was the only non-blonde woman of the group.
"It's nice to see you too… um…"
The woman backed away and gave him a confused look. "Are you trying to remember my name?"
At this moment Rachel jumped in, tapping her friend on the shoulder. "Right, Mon, he's having trouble remembering names. Ross, this is your sister Monica, but we usually call her Mon."
"Monica. Monica. Ok, I think I'll remember that now." He gave a weak smile while Monica sat back down, looking at him with a worried look.
"Guys, do you mind re-introducing yourselves?" Rachel asked the group.
"Joey."
"Chandler."
"Princess Consuela."
"Phoebe!" Monica scolded. "Don't confuse him more!"
"Oh, alright. I'm Phoebe," she said truthfully.
Ross looked at the tall blonde woman in the chair and cocked an eyebrow. "You're Phoebe? I thought you were Rachel."
Rachel's face dropped and showed a hint of sadness in her voice. "I-I'm Rachel."
"I could have sworn my roommate's name was Phoebe," he said turning to her.
"No no, it's Rachel. I'm your roommate, Rachel Green." She had to admit, she was saddened to know that he didn't know her name until now, meaning that during their conversation this morning, he had thought that she was Phoebe and not Rachel.
"Rachel Green. Ok, got it. Sorry about that." He gave looked at her and she sent a weak smile back to hide the pain that she was actually feeling. Suddenly a loud growl sounded from her stomach and she blushed from embarrassment.
"What? We haven't eaten yet," she answered the amused faces her friends had on.
"I'll get us some muffins," Ross offered and she nodded, moving over to sit at the small table near the counter.
While he lined up behind a few people who were ordering, Monica tapped her knee and hunched over to make sure he wouldn't hear them.
"So how did the morning go?" she asked as the others joined in.
"Ok, I guess. I woke up and saw him reading the paper in the kitchen and we just talked for a bit."
"You didn't mention anything about you know what right?" Joey questioned and Chandler gave him a nudge.
"Dude, you don't need to use code. We're whispering."
"Oh, I thought we were going to use code words for everything. So like 'I need to use the bathroom' can be 'it's PP time'."
"What?"
Monica rolled her eyes and turned back to Rachel. "Ignore those two, but did you though?"
"No, I didn't say anything, even when he asked." She let out a depressed sigh and looked at the ground. "To him, I'm just some roommate whose name he apparently can't remember."
"Honey, don't worry about that. I'm sure he's forgotten everyone else's name as well. He forgot ours didn't he?"
"I know… I just thought that I'd be a little more special to him."
Just as she finished, Ross reached the front of the line and they turned their heads to watch him. Gunther noticed him as he approached the counter and smiled.
"Hey Ross, nice to see you back on your feet."
"Yeah, well, not quite." Ross motioned to the cane that was supporting his weight. "Anyways, could I get a few blueberry muffins?"
"Sure thing," he answered. Ross began pulling out his wallet from his pocket but Gunther stopped him. "Oh no, don't worry about it. It's on the house." Normally, he wouldn't be so generous but he had heard from the group about what he had done to protect Rachel during the car crash and was internally grateful.
"Really? Thanks Gunther, I appreciate it."
After getting the tray of muffins, Ross made his way to the other seat at the small table and sat down, noticing the strange looks the others were giving him along with a dejected one from Rachel.
"What?"
"How did you know Gunther's name?" Monica asked, noticing Rachel's saddened look in the corner of her eye.
He paused for a moment to think of an answer. "I don't really know. It just rolled off my tongue."
"See Mon, it just rolled off his tongue," Rachel repeated, recklessly grabbing a muffin and taking a large bite, although it was obvious that she was genuinely hurt.
"So Ross, got any plans for the day?" Chandler asked, changing the subject.
"Not really. I was thinking that I'd spend the day with you all to get to know you again and maybe try to recover some memories. Rachel also said something about moving so I guess I'll try to help out any way I can."
"Moving! Yes!" Monica clapped while everyone else groaned.
"Do we have to help Rachel move?" Chandler whined.
"Of course! It's going to be so much fun!" And everyone groaned again.
Ross cocked an eyebrow and Rachel touched his arm, leaning over to whisper in his ear.
"You'll find out soon enough."
…
Hours later, Rachel stumbled into Joey's apartment, tired, sore, and in need of a place to rest before she collapsed. A few more boxes still littered the living room, needing to be moved but she lacked the strength to either want to or care to move anymore boxes. She now understood why her friends were always making fun of her large wardrobe of clothes and shoes.
Seeing Ross sitting on the coach, she walked over and plopped herself down next to him. He noticed her and turned away from whatever he was looking at, sending her a teasing smile.
"Having fun?"
"No," she said with attitude, "I swear that woman has issues. Did you know she has protocols for packing and unpacking boxes?!"
Ross chuckled. "Yeah, I read her 'Moving Manual'."
She let out a breath and leaned back, subconsciously tilting her head so that she could rest it on his shoulder. Without thinking twice, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his closeness. A moment later, her eyes shot open when she felt him wrap an arm around her and rub her shoulder. She wished she could stay in that position for a while but knowing her poor sense of self-control and how easily she falls into her own temptations, she sat up abruptly and cleared her throat.
"So, uh, what are you looking at?"
He held up the large photo album in front of him, showing her the images he had been looking at.
"I'm not quite sure. I found it on top of one of those boxes and was curious."
Rachel peered at the images closely, inspecting them with a close eye. At first, she didn't recognise it at all but when a few pictures caught her eye, she gasped.
"Oh my God! You found my childhood photo album!" she squealed excitedly, scooting closer and taking a hand of one side of the album. "I thought I lost this when Phoebe's house burnt down."
"What?"
"Never mind… oh look! Here's me when I was 8 years old!"
She pointed at an image of a little girl who very much resembled a mini version of her current self. In the photo, her six-year-old self was wearing a flourishing pink dress with a large smile on her face. Seeing this brought one on her face as well as she tried to remember the good old days; when life was all fun and games and not a single worry in the world.
"That's you?" Ross asked, and she nodded excitedly. He squinted and leaned closer for a better look and then turned to her as if inspecting her face. "Why does your nose look different than how it does in the picture?"
"Oh that? They had to reduce it because of my deviated septum," she explained holding her nose.
"That's a shame. I think you looked really cute with your nose in this picture."
She couldn't help but blush at his words. Why did he have to be so sweet? Ross flipped the page and her eyes immediately found another photo that brought a bigger smile to her face.
"Look, look, look! You see this one right here?" she asked, motioning towards a picture with three smiling children looking into the camera.
"Yeah what about it?"
"That's you!"
Ross did a double-take, looking at the image more closely. Sure enough, there were three kids in the photo; an overweight girl, a girl that resembled 8-year-old Rachel, and a smiling boy with an arm over her shoulders.
"Who's the fat girl to the left?"
"That's Monica silly!" she laughed.
"Monica? No way, this girl looked like she's been eating at Burger King her entire life."
She laughed again. "That was Monica."
Ross looked at the picture one more time and a small smile crossed his face. "Huh, so I've known you for a lot longer than I thought."
"Yeah, actually I've known you and Monica ever since I was 6 years old, when I first moved to Long Island. We were inseparable up until high school when I became popular and started becoming really shallow."
"You? Shallow? But you're so kind and caring."
"Not back in high school. Actually, most people labeled me as a bitch, which was kind of accurate. I'm not too proud of my past…"
"So have we kept in touch ever since we were 6?" he asked, wanting to know a little more about his own past as he was having trouble remembering these specific times as she was explaining.
"No, during high school we didn't really talk or do things together as much as we used to. Me and Monica were still close but you were just Monica's older brother to me and I was just Monica's best friend to you." Of course, she knew that she was far more than just 'Monica's best friend' to him back then, but if he didn't remember that then she found no reason to bring it up. "Then when you went off to college, we sort of drifted apart. It wasn't until 7 years ago when we ran into each other and we've been best friends ever since."
"Huh, we have quite a history don't we?" he pointed out and she couldn't help but sigh.
You have no idea… she thought to herself. "We really do…"
"But the past is the past, and it's not like I remember those times anyways. I'm just glad that you're a part of my life now, and that's what really counts in my books."
They exchanged smiles until suddenly; he did something very unexpected by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. Her face immediately flushed red as she felt the all too familiar sense of butterflies in her stomach. He'd always have that kind of power over her, but this time, she didn't fight it. She sunk into the couch with her eyes closed, resting her head back against his shoulder and enjoying his arm wrapped around her like a protective shield. She felt safe, she felt relaxed, and most of all, she felt like she was home.
After a few minutes of nobody moving, Ross closed the photo album and put it back on the table, removing his arm from her shoulders. However, still not wanting the moment to end, she sort of snuggled up to his arm, sighing contently as she relaxed for a bit longer.
"Are you really this tired?" he asked in a soft voice which she replied with the slight nod of her head. "Well, it's 6 o'clock right now and I was thinking we could grab dinner somewhere or something. But if you're too tired to walk around town, we can go home if you want."
"No, no, I'm up," she replied, forcing herself up and rubbing the almost-sleep out from her eyes. As much as she wanted to stay in that position, she also didn't want to postpone their evening plans, especially if it's going to be just the two of them. "Let's go."
They stood up together and Ross grabbed his jacket from the side of the couch. As he put it on, the apartment door swung open, revealing the disheveled and tired friends followed by a gleeful Monica behind them.
"Alright, just a few more boxes and you're done. Chop chop," she ordered.
"But we're tired!" Joey whined, collapsing on the coach with Chandler.
"Yeah, and you haven't done anything other than yell at us all day! Maybe you should carry the rest of these boxes," Phoebe said and slumped down in a chair.
"Fine, fine, 10 minute break," she announced, earning groans and even a "come on" as responses. Suddenly, she noticed Rachel and Ross off to the side, jackets on and heading towards the door. "Where are you two going?"
"Well, we're going out for dinner and then I'm going to show him around town," Rachel explained.
"Just the two of you?" she questioned, a hint of worry in her voice.
"Yeah, why? Is that a problem?"
Monica shared a look with the others and Rachel knew they had something they wanted to tell her.
"Hey Ross, how about you start making your way down and I'll catch up in just a sec? Mon and I have to talk about something really quickly and besides, you need more time going down the stairs."
Ross shrugged in response and opened the door. "Ok, don't be too long," he said before leaving and shutting the door behind him.
"What are you doing?" Monica asked her as soon as the door was shut.
"We're having dinner together then walking around town…"
"As a date?" she questioned.
"No, of course not! We're just two friends spending the evening together. What's wrong with that?"
"Sounds like a date to me," Joey quipped.
"Yup, I'd totally classify that as a date," Chandler added.
"You're totally falling for him again," Phoebe mentioned and smiled.
Monica placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her that 'serious talk' kind of feel. "Look Rach, we're not worried that you two are doing stuff together because that's great. We're just worried that… you know… you won't be able to control your emotions around him. We know how you kind of lose your senses when you're smitten and that's what you totally are right now."
"It's ok Mon, I'll have it under control," she stated, although she was also trying to convince herself. If the evening would be anything like what just happened on the couch, then she'd really have to try to keep her attraction towards him hidden.
"If you say so… just… be careful about what you say and do."
Rachel nodded. "I will. Bye guys!" she said with a wave before exiting the door.
Outside in the hallway, she took a moment to recollect her bearings before heading for the stairs to catch up with Ross, into the vast evening and whatever else fate may have in store for them later on.
…
For the entire evening, she couldn't have stopped smiling, even if she tried. It had been a long time since she last enjoyed herself as much as she did. They had ended up grabbing some Chinese food from a local restaurant, but even if it were Chinese, it had been better than any dinner she's had in the past months. Not even dates could compete with how much fun it was to just go out and spend the entire time talking with Ross about anything. She had missed him dearly when he was in the hospital with a coma, she truly did, and being able to talk and laugh with him felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.
After dinner, they had strolled around the busy city, following her lead as she pointed and motioned to different buildings. She had shown him restaurants the group has gone to on occasions; Ernie's, Becco, Marcel's, Tavern on the Green… they had even stopped by Monica's old job at Moondance Diner as well as her new one at the furnished Allesandro's.
A couple blocks after, she had grabbed his arm and motioned towards a rather large restaurant which seemed to be very popular with the public. "That's my favourite, Amélie. It's French and serves the most amazing food you'll ever have."
"Why don't we go some time later this week then?" he had suggested and she laughed.
"There's no way we'd get a spot for later this week. You need to book reservations almost a month early, not to mention everything's crazy expensive. I've only ever been a few times and half the time, my dad had paid the bill."
Continuing through the city, she had shown him Chandler's office and Phoebe's old massage place. They also passed by her old job at Bloomingdale's and her new one at Ralph Lauren, as well as Silvercup Studios where Joey often had auditions. Later on, they had found their way to the Museum of Natural History which Ross had taken an immediate liking to and was quite surprised when she told him he had worked there for a few years before becoming a professor. Being there also brought back nostalgic memories and forced a large smile onto her face as she thought back to the first time she and Ross had been their together alone.
At one point, she had dragged him through one of the plazas where she had motioned towards some of her favourite stores to shop at. As usual, he didn't take an interest into fashion as she did, but she appreciated his willingness to listen and nod along, even cracking an occasional joke that made her laugh. When they passed by a familiar antique shop, they had stopped and looked through the window and while he commented on the beauty of the antiques inside, she had stared at their reflection through the window. They looked as if they were a couple going on an evening stroll and at that moment, she was the happiest she's been since the car crash.
On their little tour, they had also passed by a few places with not so good memories linked to them. They had gone by the bar that he went to after their break up and eventually, gotten drunk at. Crossing the street, they had arrived at his old apartment building and she the nostalgia of why he moved in the first place made her frown. A few blocks down, they walked by Ross' lawyer's office where they had finalized their divorce. To this day, she still wasn't quite sure why he tried to keep it a secret. She didn't buy that whole "three divorces" excuse and she had seen in his eyes that there was a deeper reasoning that he had but refused to tell her about.
And of course, how could they not walk down memory lane without passing by the infamous Xerox store, still up and running but far more beaten up since the last time she was there. If there was one part of the city that she hated, it was this place, and though they never resolved the issue of who to blame for their break up, deep down, she's always have a hatred for this Xerox store and particularly towards that copy slut that ruined their relationship. She had stood just outside of the store, staring inwards with a look of hatred and pain while Ross merely looked on with a confused look. Ironically, he couldn't remember this place and she, frankly, no longer wanted to remember this place.
As dawn came and the sun set in a beautiful picture behind the horizon, the dark night sky fell upon the city of New York. Up above, a rare phenomenon occurred, particular in a place such as New York City as thousands of bright stars lit up the skies and danced around with the moon. A slight breeze blew along in the air and if possible, the area around Central Park fell into a silence rarely ever heard.
Ross and Rachel walked through the park, hand in hand and glancing up at the beautiful starry sky above them. At some point, she had squeezed passed a group of people and ended up linking hands with him. Instead of letting go, however, she left her hand inside his, leaning into his arm a bit as they walked along. Her hand fit perfectly in his palm as if it were meant to be and at the same time, she tried her best not to start sweating from her palms in showing her nervousness and excitement of being so close to his body that she could smell him. Though faint, that smell was undeniably his; a mix of men's cologne and his body odor, and she had to control herself from leaning over and taking a whiff of the smell she has missed over the months and come to love because it was his.
A small chill crept up her spine and she shivered, something that didn't go unnoticed by him.
"Are you cold?" he asked to which she merely shrugged, walking along. All she had was the sweater she wore from the morning and she hadn't brought any other clothes with her.
To her surprise, she felt his hand leave hers and a moment later, the warmth of his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up at him with love in her eyes and a grateful look while he smiled sweetly back. She blushed slightly and took a hold of his hand once again, moving even closer to him so that they could share the heat from each other's bodies. He was such a gentlemen, she thought to herself. And he isn't even doing it on purpose!
They continued their way through the moonlit park, holding onto each other while her heart began beating at a faster pace every minute she spent with him. They walked into a clearing in the middle of the park where a nice floral cart was set up in the middle. They went over to the cart while the owner somewhat ignored them and let them look at the selection of flowers on their own.
"What do you say we buy some flowers for our apartment?" he suggested.
"Our apartment?" she repeated, really liking the sound of that.
"Of course, that place is as much mine as it is yours now. You can decorate it as much as you want so I was thinking you might want a vase of flowers or something."
"Fl-flowers would be nice…" she said while a smile crept onto her face. She had never been allowed to decorate the apartment before. Not at Joey's, not at Phoebe's, and definitely not at Monica's. If this was the real Ross who was giving her permission to change whatever she wanted, then she began questioning herself of why she hadn't moved in with him earlier.
A few moments of looking at the selection brought his attention to a bundle of white flowers. "How about these lilies?" he asked while pointing at them and she smiled.
"I think their perfect. Lilies are my favourite flower."
"Then lilies it is," he said before turning to the owner of the cart. "I'd like to buy these flowers for the wonderful lady next to me." She blushed at his words and clung onto his arm more as the owner rung the flowers up and Ross paid for the flowers.
"For you," he said, handing her the flowers when they began walking away.
"Why thank you," she replied, gratefully accepting the gift. She sniffed the flowers in her hand and smiled. They continued their walk, hand in hand, and now, she realised, did they actually look like a real couple.
Eventually they returned to the apartment, happily entering the nicely heated apartment versus the chill from outside. She hung up his jacket on a hook before gently placing the lilies in a vacant vase, placing it in the middle of the apothecary table he had. She smiled at the picture in front of her before spinning around at the sound of a lazy yawn.
"Now who's tired?" she teased and he gave her a sleepy smile.
"I am. I think I'm going to head to bed," he said before taking her hands in his and sending her a sweet smile. "I had a great time tonight, thank you."
"I had a great time too."
Their eye-sight locked and they stared into each other's eyes, large smiles plastered on their faces and just silence shared between them. Eventually he yawned again, ending the moment, and she giggled.
"Goodnight Rachel."
"Goodnight Ross."
Her eyes followed him as he headed for the bedroom and when he left, she sunk down onto the couch, still smiling and thinking back to the amazing night she had. She knew that tonight, she' be able to sleep soundly for the first time in a long time.
…
Here it is, Chapter 4 is up. Sorry if there are some grammatical mistakes. I didn't get a chance to review the entire thing since it's like midnight where I am right now. I really wanted to get something out today so I hope you all enjoy and leave a review if you're liking the story so far.