Listen to Your Hear – Chapter Seven
xx
Monica stood nervously in front of Chandler's apartment door, staring at the clean blue paint, and silver digits embossed on it. She'd never been to his apartment before. Several butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of entering it and seeing his face for the first time in several days.
For a moment, horror struck as she wondered if she'd come to the right apartment. She had only seen the building for a short time, on the cab ride home the night they'd had dinner. She'd managed to nonchalantly (so she hoped) weasel the apartment number from her gossipy roommate, while she glowingly discussed her boyfriend, and every detail under the sun about him.
After her heart-to-heart with Rachel, Monica had realized that all the details of Chandler's divorce and single-parent status didn't matter to her, anymore. She only cared about him, and the possibility that together they might have something great. She had purposefully marched out of her apartment, intending to head straight to his and confront him face-to-face, cleanly laying out her feelings for him. As soon as she'd stepped out of her apartment she was confronted with a sense of nervousness she wasn't expecting. What if he no longer felt the same way? What if he decided she had taken too long making a decision for her feelings for him to be genuine? What if Michelle actually didn't like her? There were so many 'what-ifs.' Unconsciously, her feet had carried her the long way to his apartment in an attempt to put off the potential for rejection for as long as possible.
Now, here she was, staring down his door, too afraid to knock. She was losing in a battle of wits against a door. The thought of losing at anything sent a rush of competitive adrenaline surging through her veins. Taking a shaky breath, Monica quickly knocked on the door before she could regret it.
The seconds it took him to answer seemed like an eternity. That was all forgotten the moment he appeared at the door. His hair was tousled and his work suit was a little rumpled; he'd abandoned his jacket, his tie was loosened and his sleeves were pushed up to his elbows. Monica couldn't help but think he was adorable in his ruffled state. She briefly wondered if it had anything to do with her.
As soon as he'd registered who was standing at his door, Chandler wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, exclaiming, "Mon! So glad to see you!" He happily ushered her inside, leading her to the couch. A rush of warmth flooded over her, at the feel of him around her.
"Hey… I think we need to talk," she suggested. The sober tone of her voice erased the smile that had formed on his face at the sight of her.
"That phrase never ends with anything good. I'm not going to like this, am I?" he wondered aloud, nervously wringing he hands.
"Chandler, I…." she trailed off, not sure where to begin.
Chandler intervened before she could continue, "Before you finish, I just want you to know I meant what I said a couple days ago. I'm crazy over you. I want – no, need – you in my life. Even if you don't think this," he gestured between them, "could work out, I want us to be friends. I-" he stopped mid-sentence, not sure how to express his feelings any clearer. He stroked a strand of hair from her face, gently, looking at her hopefully.
Monica forced away tears, wondering how she could have ever been unsure of his feelings. She grasped his hand squeezing it gently. She'd known him, not counting their stupid teenage years, less than a week, yet, his expression of his feelings for her somehow felt more genuine than previous boyfriends' had after months together. He was sitting before her, with his heart on his sleeve, begging for confirmation that it was okay for him to feel the way he was about her.
Struggling for the words to describe what she was feeling, she settled on, "You're incredible, you know that?"
He allowed a small smile to flit across his face at the compliment, hoping that it was a good sign. Trying to ease the tension, he nodded mock-seriously, "I try not to let it go to my head." Monica laughed, and Chandler grinned broadly at the sound, pleased he'd been able to ease the mounting tension.
"I talked to Rachel, and she made me realize something," Monica explained, "I'm crazy about you, too. I don't want the past to get in the way of the future. We could be great together."
The relief on his face was obvious. He nodded wordlessly in agreement, urging her closer to him, folding her comfortably into his arms. "You have no idea how long the past couple days have seemed," he told her relief in his voice, "I was beginning to wonder when the number of hours in a day was bumped up to 37. Waiting to hear from you was like torture. Then, when I saw you at the door… I've never been more thrilled and terrified at the same time in my life."
Monica rested her head comfortably on his shoulder, grinning up at him, "I hope the long wait was worth it." He nodded, mumbling "Perfect," as he pulled her closer to him, so she was sitting in his lap, her weight fully dependent on him.
They smiled happily into one another's eyes for a moment, and seeing their mutual want, leaned in, their lips meeting in their first kiss as a couple. The closeness and undeniable passion that they felt for one another was palpable. Inhibitions were thrown into the wind, as they drew one another closer, craving deeper contact. The moment was shattered as the front door burst open.
Rachel and Joey causally strolled in, Joey with Michelle in his arms. Monica and Chandler broke apart, but weren't quick enough.
The second Joey set Michelle down, she ran towards her father, looking at him questioningly, when she saw Monica in his lap. She waved at her shortly, before asking her father, "Why's Monica sitted on you, Daddy?"
"Umm… honey, well," Chandler stuttered, glancing quickly at Monica, before answering, as if hoping her eyes might hold the proper response, "it's because we're really good friends now, and we like to be close to one another, is that okay?" he asked Michelle, gently. She nodded eagerly, liking the idea of Monica being her Daddy's friend. Without a second thought on the matter she launched jubilantly into the story of her day.
Grinning at Monica and Chandler's embarrassed faces, Joey beamed. "I'll bet you're friends," he mumbled, with a lewd grin plastered on his face. He ignored Rachel as she slapped him on the arm, scoldingly; it was clear from the expression on her face she was as amused with the situation as he was. "What'cha been doin'?" he questioned, teasingly, though he knew exactly what they had been doing.
Shooting a pointed sideways glance at Michelle, Chandler grimaced and shot Joey a warning look, "We were hugging," he explained, with a half-truth.
Ignoring Chandler's cues, Joey continued, amused, "Really? By the wrinkled state of your clothes, it looks like that must have been a very…" his brow furrowed as he tried to recall the word he wanted, "intense hug," he explained in a fake-innocent tone, a wicked grin on his face.
Chandler's harsh glare sobered Joey a little. "Be careful what you say when my D-A-U-G-H-T-E-R is in the room, Joe."
Joey looked at Chandler baffled, "Your who?" He paused to shake his head, trying to clear it, "What?"
Affording one last irritated glance at his former brother-in-law, Chandler nodded his head overdramatically in Michelle's direction. He changed the topic, hoping Joey would take the hint, wondering, "What are you guys doing here? And why do you have Michelle? I thought she was with Phoebe?"
"Oh, I invited Rachel to dinner," Joey explained, "and Phoebe dropped Michelle off with me an hour ago 'cause she had a client call and book a last-minute massage appointment, and you were still at work."
"So you came to drop off Michelle, then, before you go to dinner?" Chandler asked.
Joey looked at him incredulously, "No. We're here for dinner." He looked concerned for a moment, asking worriedly, "You are cooking dinner, right?"
"So," Chandler summed up, ignoring the question, "instead of actually taking your girlfriend out for dinner, you decided to spend the night mooching off me?"
"Dude," Joey whined, "we're just hungry. Besides, Rachel wanted to hang out with Michelle more!" Grinning slyly at Chandler, making sure Rachel wasn't listening, he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Your daughter is such a chick-magnet!" Joey backed away meekly upon catching what was probably the twentieth glare Chandler had sent in his direction since he'd entered the apartment. Joey figured he'd better shut up on that particular subject if he wanted to eat. "So," he wondered, "what's for dinner?"
"Joey," Rachel squealed, reprimanding her boyfriend, "dinner isn't important, when there's details to be shared! Look at them," she waved a hand in Chandler and Monica's general direction, "They are so adorable!" The couple looked suitably embarrassed, but remained frozen in their seats.
Michelle looked at Rachel, tilting her head curiously, "What's is adorable?"
Rachel knelt down in front of her and explained, "It means cute. Your Daddy and Monica make very cute 'friends' don't you think?" she asked the three-year-old.
Michelle nodded enthusiastically, in agreement, "I like Monica." Rachel glanced surreptitiously in Monica's direction, pleased to see her roommate break into a small smile at the declaration.
xx
After Rachel and Joey had burst unceremoniously into Chandler's apartment and interrupted Monica and Chandler's kiss, Monica had been dragged into the bathroom by Rachel, to discuss – for what felt like hours – all the details and the conversation that had preceded it.
Eventually, Joey's whining that he was hungry had gotten to everyone, so Monica offered up her skills as a chef, agreeing to cook dinner for everyone. Joey was especially pleased by this proposal. The idea that a qualified chef was preparing his meal was much more appealing to him than whatever Chandler might end up cooking. As much as Chandler was a better cook than he was, Joey was sick of macaroni and cheese with little cut up hot dogs! Was it so much to ask for a little variety?
Chandler had opposed the idea, wanting to spend a little time with Monica, preferably without two well-meaning but interfering best friends in the way, but had been outnumbered. So, he left Rachel and Joey in the living room, entertaining his daughter, and offered to help Monica in the kitchen, more out the need to be close to her than out of a genuine desire to help.
Monica grinned sardonically at Chandler as she scoured the fridge for cooking ingredients. "You have a child, and you live like you're still in college! How has your daughter not developed a case of scurvy, yet?"
Chandler glanced at where his daughter was laughing at something Rachel had said, quickly, as if checking to make sure she actually didn't have scurvy, before shooting back, "Hey, we have orange juice! And some vegetables!"
Monica ran a hand gently down his arm, letting him know she was only teasing, then pulled out several vegetables from the crisper drawer. Chandler grinned at the small contact, feeling much lighter than he could remember feeling any time over the past couple of days.
Setting the vegetables on the wooden cutting board, Monica instructed, "Chop these. Here's the plan: we're making portobello lemon chicken, served on a bed of white rice, with a side of steamed veggies."
Chandler looked at her in mock-horror, "That sounds… healthy. Joey is going to be very upset he put so much faith in your cooking abilities."
"His stomach will thank me later," Monica asserted, with her head still stuck in the refrigerator, as she pulled out various other ingredients.
Glancing at the array of products on his countertop, Chandler shot her a doubtful look, "Are you sure I'm qualified to help with making this?"
Monica grinned cheekily at him, "Probably not, but that's what I'm here for!"
"Haha," he teased back, "So I just chop them like this," he indicated to the pepper he was cutting messily, "right?"
Monica cringed, "Not like that! Make sure all the slices are parallel, like this!" She took the knife from him, smiles flitting across both of their faces as their hands touched. She cut the peppers neatly and efficiently, as Chandler stood close behind her, watching her actions with his hands on her waist, and his chin mere millimetres from the bare skin of her neck.
"Wow," he praised, "You even make cutting vegetables look good."
Monica smiled faintly, hardly aware that he had been speaking, much less what had been said. The feel of him standing behind her, his breath warm on her neck was captivating all of her attention. Chandler was fully aware of what he was doing to her, and kissed her neck gently, pleased when she melted back against him, to prevent her legs from buckling underneath her.
Monica smiled dreamily up at him for a moment. Sobering, she peered furtively into the living room to see if either Rachel or Joey had noticed, but they were contently playing with Michelle and her Barbies.
Feeling suddenly bold, a flash of adrenaline shooting through her, Monica turned in Chandler's arms so she was facing him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him into an affectionate kiss, twining her hands through his hair, pulling him closer to her. Before either could get too much into it, Chandler pulled away, and murmured, "You make cooking a lot more fun than it ever was in home ec!"
Monica nodded, burying her blushing face into his chest, inhaling the comforting scent of him, still feeling a little dizzy from the overwhelming thought that he was hers, and wanted this as much as she did. Feeling a little regretful at the thought of the separation it would require, she suggested, "Maybe we should get started on the sauce for the chicken?"
Chandler gave her a pout– a skill Joey perfected, and no doubt passed on to him – and followed her obediently, as she moved to pour ingredients into a small bowl and began stirring them. He wrapped his arms around her gently from behind, running his hands lightly across her stomach, leaving behind trails of fire wherever he touched her. Monica continued to stir absently, her attention focused more on his hands and how amazing his touch felt. In a voice that sounded suspiciously breathy, she moaned, "What are you doing? We're supposed to be cooking!"
Chandler kissed her ear, before whispering in it, "I'm helping!" He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, and Monica turned slightly in his arms so he could reach to kiss her, if he wanted.
He immediately complied, his lips finding hers in a tantalizing kiss; the previous kiss seemed a mere friendly one in comparison. Their tongues met and intertwined, as they pulled one another nearer, needing to feel as close as humanly possible. All thoughts of Joey and Rachel, and being caught flew from their minds.
Monica was the one to finally pull away, and wobbled on the spot for a moment, her knees feeling like jello. Chandler wrapped his arms tightly around her, steadying her, whispering teasingly, "That good, huh?"
"Some help you are," Monica attempted an admonishing tone, which fell decided flat thanks to the yearning clearly evident beneath the surface of her expression.
Chandler grinned at her deviously. "I can be more helpful… If you'd like." He ran his hands gently down her shoulders, across her stomach, then teasingly close to her breasts, close enough to feel her pounding heart, and know that she wanted this as much as he did. Not that he had been doubtful before. Slyly, content with the knowledge that he was doing the exact opposite of what she wanted, he slid his hands slowly away and kissed the back of her neck lightly, wondering mock-innocently, "Sorry, was I being too helpful?"
xx
In the living room, Rachel slyly watched out of her peripheral vision as Monica and Chandler tinkered about the kitchen, pretending to be fully engaged in playing with Michelle. She had a prime opportunity to get some first-hand gossip, and she wasn't going to pass it up!
"Aww, Joey. Look!" Rachel insisted, pointing inconspicuously toward the kitchen, where Monica and Chandler were 'cooking,' but seemingly getting very little actual, productive cooking done. "Aren't they sweet? They keep checking back here to make sure we're not watching them, and then they'll kiss, or touch or hold hands!"
Joey looked upset at this remark, rubbing his grumbling stomach, whining petulantly, "What! How come they're not cooking! I'm hungry!"
Rachel stroked his hair, playfully. "You can wait, right, baby?" she pleaded giving him her most placating smile. He smiled back at her, happy to let her lead. "Look how happy they are! I don't know about Chandler, but Monica hasn't smiled and giggled that much since we were in 8th grade and she liked Will Straw! They are so adorable together! Not as adorable as we are, of course." She grinned at Joey, who kissed her lightly on the nose at the comment. Her grin widened at the touch, and ran a fingertip down his arm, returning his affection.
"Uncle Joey, Auntie Rachel! You guyses wasn't listending to me!" Michelle piped up, tired of being ignored by her uncle and honorary aunt, who were far too immersed in one another for her tastes, "Uncle Joey, you're apposed to be Barbie and Auntie Rachel, you gotta be Ken. I is gonna be Skipper."
Rachel looked amused, "Sweetie, don't you think Uncle Joey should be Ken, because he's a boy?"
Michelle shook her head fervently. "Uncle Joey always wantses to be Barbie. I is always Skipper. And then Daddy gots to be Ken."
Rachel looked at her boyfriend, amused, "You usually play Barbie, Joe?"
Joey smiled sheepishly at her, "She has the most clothes! When I was growing up I always had to play Ken, because I had seven sisters! Mishi actually lets me be Barbie!" He pouted at her, looking at her with wide innocent eyes, asking her to understand.
"A girl after my own heart," Rachel teased, bursting into a laugh. Joey blushed, "I think it's sweet, honey, that you care so much about clothes and fashion. I can rest easy knowing you'll listen when I talk about my job!" She laughed and Joey glowered slightly at the sound.
He grumbled, not at all happy that he'd been caught out, but pleased the ordeal had put a smile on Rachel's face. A little embarrassment was a small price to pay for her beautiful smile. Still, feeling a need to defend himself, he added, "I'm all man!" he made a fist and punched the air in what he felt was a very manly way. "I'll show you!" he exclaimed, pointing at her challengingly, daring her to defy him.
Rachel ran a hand across his back, kissing his cheek and nodding soothingly, "Oh, trust me," she grinned, appeasing him, "I know all about how much of man you are. But I wouldn't mind if you wanted to show me again, later," she teased, running a hand through his hair.
Joey beamed proudly, easily catching the seductive note in her tone. He might not be the brightest, but when it came to matters of sex, he was more intuitive than most people. Content he had successfully saved his reputation, he turned towards Michelle who was in the process of marrying Barbie and Ken, without the assistance of either her aunt or uncle.
Out of the blue, Michelle wondered, "Uncle Joey, is you married to Aunt Rachel? You guyes kisses like Barbie and Ken do when they getses married."
"Uh, I, um," Joey stuttered, not sure how to respond, not wanting to offend Rachel, or offer Michelle an answer she wouldn't understand. He looked desperately to Rachel to save him.
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and explained, "Joey and I are – um, special friends – right now, sweetie, we're not married. That means we really care about one another and we like spending time together, but we're not ready to get married to each other. "
Joey nodded in silent agreement with her response, mumbling, while looking at her hopefully, "Maybe someday?" She grinned in response, enjoying the thought. Their relationship may be young, but the fact he already saw a future with her comforted her, especially given his rather fickle behaviour in the past.
Michelle was puzzled by Rachel's response, but seemed content to let it go and pursue another line of questioning, "Is Monica Daddy's spesal friend?"
This time, Rachel joined Joey as he looked on in horror. It was one thing to tell Michelle about their own relationship, but explaining Monica and Chandler's, especially when they weren't sure of that status themselves, was a whole other thing. It was obvious they had both developed feelings for one another, but they'd want to explain that to Michelle in their own way.
Thankfully Rachel and Joey were spared answering the question when Chandler entered the room, announcing to Joey and Rachel, "Dinner's ready, guys!" Turning to Michelle he continued, explaining, "You're gonna sit with us for dinner tonight, okay, honey? Monica made you something special, too." Michelle nodded with childish exuberance, pleased that she would be a 'big girl' and eat with the adults.
After addressing his daughter, Chandler returned his attention to Joey and Rachel, looking for a response from them and seeming a little bewildered at the semi-horrified expressions frozen on their faces.
"Coming!" Rachel and Joey chorused a moment later, their tones overly bright, hoping to alleviate his suspicion. Chandler looked at them slightly skeptically for a moment, but was quick to brush it off. He was in too good of a mood, thanks to his reunion with Monica, to really pay attention to anything that might be amiss. He turned back toward the table where Monica was sitting, the smile returning to his face.
Joey suddenly seemed to realize that Chandler's announcement meant that the food was ready and he stood up eagerly, happy that they'd finally (though it had only been less than half an hour) get to eat. As Michelle bounded past him towards the table, Joey scooped up her under his arm, ignoring her giggly requests to be let down.
As they walked, towards the table, Joey, still toting a giggling Michelle, turned to Rachel with wide eyes, whispering conspiratorially, "That was awkward!"
xx
Shortly after they'd all finished dinner, Phoebe burst through the door. Tiredly, she dragged her feet towards the couch and plopped onto it. Only after she was seated did she look around her.
Chandler who was sitting on the chair adjacent to the couch, with an arm around Monica and Michelle on his lap, shot her a sympathetic look.
When Michelle saw her honourary Aunt, she jumped up, and bounded towards her, "Hey, Auntie Pheebs!"
"You okay Pheebs?" Chandler wondered, "You look beat! Are you hungry? Monica made dinner, there's some leftovers in the fridge, if you want."
"That'd be great, thanks! I'm starving," she agreed, rubbing her pregnant stomach, before looking at Chandler knowingly, and shifting her gaze to Monica. "So this is Monica, huh? Nice to meet you," she smirked. Monica blushed as she returned the greeting. Phoebe seemed to know about her… she wondered what Chandler had said about her to Phoebe? Her blush deepened as she recalled her irrational jealousy a few days prior.
Monica watched as Phoebe studied her, sizing up her best friend's choice of girlfriend. "Err, I'll go heat up that food for you, Phoebe," Monica offered sheepishly, wanting to get away from the awkward moment.
As soon as Monica left, Phoebe turned to Chandler and whispered, "She's hot, Chandler!"
Chandler blushed furiously, quickly glancing in Monica's direction to make sure she hadn't heard, hissing, "Pheebs!"
Joey, who had overheard the statement, grinned carnally at the lesbian scenario that immediately filled his mind, "Yeah baby!" Chandler quickly fixed a glare on Joey, and he amended, with a sheepish shrug, "No, baby."
Grinning at her friends, Phoebe tucked a blonde wisp of hair behind her ear, and shrugged, "What's the big deal? So, Chandler scored a hottie."
Chandler blushed again, but this time he seemed to look a little proud in spite of it, "Yeah?"
"And," Phoebe continued, "She seems really nice, too."
The others nodded in agreement, and Chandler mumbled absently, "She is."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than Monica returned to the room carefully balancing a plate of food, and carrying cutlery. Handing Phoebe the plate, Monica said, "I hope it's warm enough. If not let me know and I'll heat it up some more." She plumped up the pillow behind Phoebe, before continuing, "Be careful! You don't want to get crumbies everywhere!"
Phoebe looked at Chandler with a raised eyebrow. He just shrugged. "Thanks, Monica" Phoebe said appreciatively, "It was very generous of you to do this! I can see why Chandler was going so crazy over you!" At this comment, Chandler's head snapped up, and he glared at Joey who shrugged elaborately, as if to say 'I didn't know it was a secret, besides, I tell her everything.' Phoebe continued, "…My feet are killing me. First chasing after Michelle all afternoon, then having to stand up at work… ugh, being pregnant sucks."
Michelle looked up from where she had been snuggled between her two aunts, talking to Rachel excitedly about the pony Rachel had owed as a little girl. Tilting her head curiously at Phoebe, she wondered, "How much longer is you gonna be plegant, Auntie Pheebs?"
Smiling at the little girl, Phoebe explained, "Not sure, sweetie. The babies could want to come out anytime, now. They're supposed to come in two months, but they might come early."
Michelle looked at her with wide eyes, "Wow, two months! That's a long, long, long time!" She pouted, "You still can't play with me 'til then, 'cause your tummy is getting too big, right, Auntie Pheebs?"
Phoebe shook her head, "Of course I'll be able to play with you, sweetie, I just can't bend over very well, or pick you up."
Michele frowned at this, but tried to look happy anyway, "Okay."
Attempting to make her feel better, Phoebe suggested, "Hey, I'm sure Monica and Rachel will want to play girl stuff with you, maybe you should ask them!"
Michelle nodded eagerly, at the prospect, telling her Aunt, "Auntie Rachel haded a pony when she was little! And Monica knowses how to does French braids!"
Phoebe looked mock-stunned, "Wow that's cool. Guess you don't need me, then, huh?"
Michelle giggled and shook her head and hugged her, though her little arms barely spanned Phoebe's stomach. "No! You is the coolest, bestest Auntie, ever," she protested.
"Hey!" Rachel complained, only half teasingly, "What about me?"
Bestowing an angelic smile upon her second aunt, Michelle explained, "You is the funnest, prettiest Auntie, ever." Chandler laughed at his daughter's antics. For a three-year-old Mishi was certainly clever; with all of her three-years of wisdom, she had played her aunts perfectly, wrapping both of them around her little finger. Chandler paused to consider he should probably be the last to laugh; Michelle had him worse than all the others combined.
xx
Stretching her arms, Phoebe yawned, and pointed at Michelle who had fallen asleep on the couch next to her half-an hour ago, "I think she's got the right idea. It's getting late. As much as I enjoyed getting to know you guys," she smiled at Monica and Rachel, "A pregnant woman needs her rest."
The others nodded in agreement and moved to help her. With Joey's assistance she was able to get up from her perch on the couch. She hugged her friends goodbye, including Monica and Rachel, reassuring the latter of her promise that they'd go clothes shopping for her future nieces and nephews soon.
As soon as Phoebe was out the door, Rachel caught Monica's gaze, and could see in her roommate's eyes, though she was clearly trying and failing to hide it, that she wanted time alone with Chandler. She had been eying him all evening, laughing at his jokes, even when the others didn't. Rachel smiled. It was cute.
"I should probably get going, too," she explained, "I've got an early meeting tomorrow."
Joey looked at her, upset, "You don't wanna stay the night at my place?" He pouted, crossing his arms petulantly.
Rachel shook her head, "You know that's not it, sweetie. My place is closer to work. You know how much I hate getting up early in the mornings!" Joey nodded and shivered; saying she wasn't a morning person was a huge understatement, "You're welcome to come home with me, though, if you like." She smiled flirtingly at him and he grinned back.
"Can't say no to that!"
Rachel looked pleadingly at her roommate, "You don't mind if Joey stays over, do you, Mon?"
Monica grimaced slightly, the idea of hearing her best friend and her boyfriend in the next room not appealing to her, but shook her head anyway. Who was she to deny Rachel's happiness? "Nah, I don't mind, so long as things are… quiet… when I get home and am trying to sleep," she smiled cheekily at her roommate.
Rachel nodded eagerly, "No problem. Seeya at home, then. Night!"
Monica and Chandler watched as the couple exited, bouncing 'good nights' back and forth. They grinned nervously at one another once they were alone, not quite sure how to proceed. Monica made the first move, getting up, and sitting on his lap in the chair he was occupying.
Chandler cuddled against her for a moment, before realizing his daughter was still in the room, asleep on the couch. Smiling sheepishly, he asked, "Mind if I put Michelle to bed, first?"
Monica shook her head with a smile, "By all means. I'll be waiting."
Chandler grinned and kissed her temple, "I'll just be a few minutes." He walked over the couch, and knelt down by Michelle, picking her up in his arms and carrying her towards her room. She woke in his arms, yawning and mumbling, "Where is I?"
"You were sleeping on the couch, sweetie. It's past your bedtime."
Michelle stretched and argued through a yawn, "I is not tired!" Chandler laughed, knowing that wasn't true. He didn't bother arguing, this was a regular part of their nightly routine. He quickly changed her into her pajamas and pulled back her pink duvet, sliding her into the 'big girl' bed, she'd gotten earlier that year.
"Where's Shell?" Michelle mumbled, sleepily. Chandler glanced around him, before grabbing Michelle's stuffed turtle from where it had fallen on the floor, handing it to her. She sleepily wrapped her arms around it, her eyes stubbornly fluttering, as she fought sleep. Chandler stroked her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Goodnight."
Before he could leave, Michelle grabbed his hand, and begged, "Read 'Goodnight Moon,' daddy!" Chandler smiled at her, and agreed, knowing that before he got two pages into the book that she'd be fast asleep.
He pulled the book from the shelf, and sat on the bed next to her, beginning to read. Michelle cuddled against his side, still clutching tightly to Shell. As predicted, Michelle was asleep within minutes. Chandler glanced towards the doorway, realizing Monica was standing there, watching them. He gestured for her to come into the room, and she did so, reluctantly. He squeezed her hand, when she within reach, then leaned to kiss Michelle on the forehead one last time. Monica smiled and repeated the action. Chandler took Monica's hand and guided them out of the room, flicking off the lights and turning on Mishi's nightlight, as he did so.
Once the door was shut behind them, Monica told him, "You are so great with her. Saying you were an amazing Daddy was the understatement of the year."
He smiled, pleased with the compliment, "I hope she feels the same way."
"She does. Trust me on this one. The way you two act around one another… it leaves no doubt in my mind."
Chandler pulled her towards the couch, pulling her onto his lap, hugging her to him, then kissing her sweetly in thanks.
Monica ran a hand across his cheek. "I would have been an idiot not to want this," she whispered, referring to being a part of his life, and Michelle's.
Chandler chose to take the comment more suggestively, "I am quite the legend," he murmured.
Monica laughed, "I was talking about being a part of yours and Michelle's lives. But that was fun, too. You're a really good kisser."
"Well I have kissed over four women," he bragged, jokingly.
Monica grinned, pulling him close to her, again. They quickly found themselves reclining against the couch, their limbs entangling as they kissed. Their hands skated across warm skin and clothing that suddenly felt too bulky. Monica felt her entire body tingle as Chandler's cool hand caressed the warm skin of her back visible in the gap between her shirt and jeans.
Chandler felt his pulse race at the sound of her gasp. Needing to hear more, he placed his hands around her small waist, pulling her hips closer towards him.
He groaned, and murmured apprehensively, "Are you okay? I haven't done this in a while… I-"
Monica was quick to shush him, placing her lips back against his, muting anything else he may have said, "How can you have doubts? God, Chandler, that was…" she trailed off as she tried to locate a suitable word, "spectacular," she finally finished.
He allowed himself a small smile. "I'm a man," he explained with a self-depreciating half-smirk, "Wondering if women like us is what we do. Besides, I've only ever had a very small number of women ever show interest… and those who did, always left. Why would they if I was so great?"
"Their loss was my gain. I'm glad they left, otherwise you wouldn't be here with me. Where you belong." The possessive note in her voice sent a shot of adrenaline straight through him, his breath catching, he suddenly felt lighter than air.
All thoughts of the past instantaneously flew from his mind as her lips melded to his again. He allowed himself to become lost in her in a way he hadn't allowed himself to in years. In that moment, the feel of her soft lips pressing against his, shallow at it might seem, was all he needed to know he wanted to be with her, for now. Forever, if she was willing.
He closed his eyes, allowing thoughts of her to drift lazily across his mind and engulf him. Everything they had shared only made him feel closer to her. He concentrated on the feel of her lips against the taut skin of his neck, and shivered.
Feeling him quake against her, Monica whispered, "Cold?"
"Not with you here," he whispered back, a hint of a smile on his face. The feel of her weight pressing down on him was warm and comforting, her presence and open displays of affection even more so.
The moment the words were out of his mouth, her lips were pressed against his neck again, her soft breaths against him warming him to his very soul. Needing to feel her lips soft against his, he scooted down, shifting his weight so her face was directly in front of his. He smiled into her eyes.
Before he could lean closer, Monica ran a finger over his face, across a closed eyelid. Her words slightly panted, she said, "You have the most gorgeous eyes, I've ever seen. I'm not sure whether they're blue or they're green, or somewhere in between, but whatever colour they are, I wanna get lost in them forever." He looked uncomfortable and Monica felt him tense against her.
Monica looked up at him in surprise, "No one's ever told you that before?" He shrugged again, and looked even more uncomfortable than before. Suddenly realizing why, Monica guessed, "Mary Angela did, didn't she? Sorry… I hope I didn't bring up a painful memory?" She stroked his hair in a motherly way, as if trying to ease his pain.
Some of the tension in his body left, as he nodded, "Yeah. She was the only one who ever has, though. She used to say Michelle had my eyes; that we both had beautiful eyes. She thought her eyes were 'boring brown.' It's not painful, just awkward to think about it, when I'm here with you." He was silent for a moment, "The two of you are so different."
"I hope so," she smiled, stroking his chest, her fingers tracing abstract patterns. She could feel him smile against her skin, where his head buried in the space between her neck and shoulder. She thought she heard him mumble something about her smelling sexy, but brushed it off, as her imagination. The very notion that he thought she was sexy, though, sent a wave of confidence crashing over her. Inching her fingers towards the buttons on his shirt, she undid a couple slowly, catching his gaze as she did so, trying to gauge his reaction. She found it almost overwhelming how easily she could read him. His expression was accepting, with a hint of cheekiness, which only served to propel her further forward.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. They were soon met by his, slanting over them. Her hand continued its meandering path, stroking along the hem of his shirt where his shirt buttons were, teasingly moving close enough to the skin that he could feel the heat of her fingers, before sliding away. Through their kiss she could feel his deep breaths in anticipation of the contact, but it never came. He pushed his chest outward, silently begging her to touch him, but she was quicker than him, and pulled away before contact was made.
Frustrated, Chandler gently bit her ear, before moaning into it, "How much longer are you gonna tease? I'm going to spontaneously combust if you don't give me something. Please."
Smiling triumphantly down at him, from where she was now straddling his waist, she countered, teasingly, "I dunno, I think it's kinda hot. I like it when your voice gets that pleading tone to it."
He merely grumbled in response, too caught up in the reaction she was invoking in his body to think of a coherent response. Instead, he decided, revenge would speak louder than words.
While she continued to tease him mercilessly, he took the opposite approach, his hands sliding up her thighs, and around her butt, squeezing it gently. He felt a surge of satisfaction as she groaned, and faltered in her movements. Using the moment of weakness to his advantage, he pulled her body down, flush against his, her unwilling fingers pressing his chest. Monica groaned in pleasure, as she felt his body react against hers. The feel of it sent a satisfying rush of blood coursing from head to toe.
He sighed contently into her neck, murmuring, the sole thought that assaulted him, "Finally."
It was Monica's turn to reprimand him, "You're a cheater, Chandler Bing!" The feel of her tongue tracing his ear reassured him she wasn't upset, despite the tone of her voice.
He tongued her neck, kissing a trail to her ear, muttering, "You don't seem all that upset."
"How can I be, when you're doing that," the last syllable was more of a moan, than a word, as she arched her back, leaning into his touch. His hands were tracing the curves of her hips and breasts with searing passion, that somehow managed to seem delicate at the same time. The strange combination was intoxicating, and Monica wondered how she had gone through her life until this point without it.
She moved her hand deeper into his shirt, stretching the material. She smiled as Chandler's hands ceased to wander her body, griping tightly onto her hips as she provided the contact he'd been craving, pleased with the effect she was having on him. Never before had a man reacted to a touch from her in such an extraordinary way. She felt sexy and desirable in his arms, and she thoroughly enjoyed the sensation. His groans and little noises of appreciation were more encouraging than anything he could have said.
Her hands wandered as far as they could within the small opening the unbuttoned portion of his shirt allowed. Needing more, she undid two more buttons. Chandler hummed in appreciation, as she stroked the skin beneath the material, leaning to kiss it as well. The feel of her lips against his bare skin sent him dizzy.
The slight shock of the soft wetness of her tongue against his skin sent a warning signal shooting through his mind. It felt too good. They weren't ready for this, yet. It had been years for him, since being involved in this kind of intimacy and they'd only been a couple a grand total of five hours. He gently grasped her wrists, pulling them out of his shirt and kissing the back of each hand, explaining gently, "It's getting late."
The hurt that pooled in her eyes, stabbed through his heart, and he quickly reassured her, "It's not that I don't want you. God, I am so attracted to you. I – It's, we aren't ready. I want our first time to be mind-blowing. It wouldn't be, like this."
Her protests were weak at best. She fixed a pleading stare on him, mumbling feebly, "But I want you."
He agreed, "I know, baby, but we have something to look forward to this way." She pouted, slightly, obviously not entirely buying the argument. Chandler stroked her sides gently, as they moved so they were sitting next to one another on the couch. He leaned to kiss her forehead, promising, "This isn't a cop out, trust me. If anything, it's a sacrifice. I want us to wait until we can do it right."
Her eyes darkening slightly in resignation, she sighed, "I know you're right. It's just… frustrating. I feel all tingly and about ready to burst. Coming back down from that high the hard way sucks."
He shrugged in apology, fighting away the inward smile at the thought of how he made her feel, "I am sorry, and I'll make it up to you, I promise." He kissed her hair gently.
A twinkle sparkling in her eye, she assured him, "I'll hold you to that." Standing up, on only slightly wobbly legs, to her credit, she grabbed her purse from the coffee table, slinging it over her shoulder. She moved towards him, and their lips met in a quick, but meaningful goodbye kiss.
"I'll call you," he promised.
"That better not mean you won't call!" Monica glared at him teasingly.
He returned the teasing glare but answered sincerely, "Never."
They exchanged one last smile, and another quick kiss, then Monica disappeared out the door. Chandler stared at it for a moment before sinking into the couch, banging his head against the back of it several times, groaning in dissatisfaction.
xx
Hope this chapter was worth the little bit of a longer wait than usual! On the bright side, it's also longer than most of the chapters posted so far, and has lots of romantic mush (that's a good thing, right? :P) for both Joey/Rach and Mondler. If that's not your kind of thing, I might as well warn you that you won't be pleased with the next few chapters :P
I was hoping I'd have this done yesterday, but Halloween stuff got in the way! I'm always the pumpkin carver in this house; that's what you get for being dubbed 'the creative one.' I also spent a good portion of the night handing out candy and watching Halloween specials like a 12-year-old :P I hope you all had a fun Halloween, too :)
University is kind of hitting a busy point, so if the next chapter is a bit slow in coming, you'll know why; I'm off reading dozens of pages some (most likely boring) textbook, or writing an essay or something I'd much less rather be doing than writing this. It is coming though, I promise. I won't let the procrastinator in me take hold :) As always reviews motivate, me though, and will bring it on quicker :D