"Well, I guess there's nothing left for us to do but…but kiss." My stomach is in a knot—I don't want to do this. Sure; it was fun for a little while, screwing with Phoebe and Rachel, trying to get them back for screwing with us. But now it's going too far. Now, Phoebe's just a couple of inches away; she looks about as thrilled with this as I feel. I thought she'd back down much sooner than this. I'm on Monica's team, for crying out loud. Doesn't she know how competitive Monica is?

"Here it comes," Phoebe answers, uncertainly. "Our first kiss."

I glance at the bathroom door, my heart pounding, and not at all in the way it does around Monica. This can't be happening; Monica's going to burst out of there any moment, demanding that Phoebe stop what she's doing.

I look at Phoebe again, and she's very slowly leaning toward me, her lips pursed in an expression that is anything but desire.

My nose crinkles a bit as I closer, my lips pulling back as they try to stay as far away from her as possible.

I lean closer to her and our lips touch, and I don't want to say that I feel revulsion, because that's a little harsh, but all I know is that I don't want to do this. I don't want to kiss Phoebe! The only person I want to kiss is Monica.

The only person I ever want to kiss is Monica.

Ever.

I push Phoebe away. "Okay okay okay all right okay all right you win! I can't have sex with you!" I put my hand to my forehead, rubbing my temples. This has gotten way too out of hand.

Phoebe's staring at me in glee, looking triumphant. "And why not?"

I throw open my arms, exasperated. "Because I'm in love with Monica!" I blurt out, and Phoebe's mouth drops open in shock.

"You're…you're what?!"

I see the door to the apartment fly open, Rachel and Joey sticking their heads in; I hear the bathroom door squeak open, and all I can think about is making my feelings about this woman very clear. "Love her! That's right. I love her. I. Love. Her!" I point at Monica for a moment as I breathe heavily, what I said hitting me.

I love Monica. I just told all of our friends that I love her

But I do. I love her. I'm in love with her.

That's what this ache in my chest has been. This feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I look over to see Monica walking toward me, the biggest grin in the world on her face, and I feel myself smile in response. My hands come up to her waist as she stands in front of me, her expression softening.

"I love you, Monica," I say tenderly, and she lets out an almost laugh as her hands squeeze my arms a little.

It feels great to say that to her.

It feels so right.

"I love you, too, Chandler," she tells me, her voice cracking just a little, and I barely have time to process what she said to me before her arms come up around my neck and we pull each other close. I wrap my arms around her, one hand cradling her head, our lips meeting in the sweetest kiss we've ever shared. She pulls away from me a few moments later, the smile on her face making it impossible to maintain contact.

Like my own grin isn't making things tough.

I rest my forehead against hers as she smiles up at me, and my heart almost stops with the way she's looking at me.

They way she's been looking at me for a long time now.

"I just thought you guys were doing it; I didn't know you were in love," Phoebe squeaks behind us, her smile huge.

Monica's arms slide around my waist and I pull her close to me.

I can't stop smiling.

I love this woman.

Oh, my God, I love her.

And she loves me.

Is this really happening?

"Dude!" Joey exclaims, grinning at me, looking happy-embarrassed, Rachel beside him, nearly in tears, and I nod my head at him, my cheeks starting ache from all the smiling.

Who knew?

I mean, who knew that I'd fall in love with Monica Geller, or that she'd fall in love with me?

I'm going to need to hear her say it again.

"And hats off to Phoebe," I say, holding out a hand to her. "Quiet a competitor…and might say your breasts are still showing."

"God!" she exclaims, trying to button up her shirt, and I feel Monica chuckle against me a little. I give her just a little squeeze, and her arms tighten around me in response. Joey's face lights up, and he looks relieved.

"All right! So that's it—it's over! Everybody knows."

"Well, actually, Ross doesn't," Monica says, and I feel just the slightest bit of tension in her body at that.

"Yes, and we'd appreciate if no one told him yet," I say, and Monica nods against my chest.

Joey's nostrils flare as he purses his lips, and I can't help but feel bad for the guy; all he wants is to not have to keep a secret anymore.

"I'm sorry, Joey," Monica says, her fingers gently stroking my side. "But he's probably going to freak out, and we just have to figure out how to tell him."

I shudder just a little, already not looking forward to his reaction—he's been so volatile lately that it's hard to guess how he'll react to anything. "It won't be much longer, I promise."

Monica tilts her head back, smiling at me. "It's been too long."

I think my heart could actually burst right now; I don't think I've ever been this happy. I lean down and kiss her gently, my hand coming up to stroke her cheek. Rachel sniffles and we both turn our faces to her; she grins at us, her arm linked through Joey's, who still doesn't look thrilled. "Oh, my God, you guys," she says. "This is so great."

My arms tighten around Monica as she says, "I know. It's the best."

"So, out of curiosity," Phoebe says, finally getting her top buttoned. "How long has it been?"

I smile down at Monica, kissing her forehead. "Eight months," I answer. The best eight months of my life.

"Eight months?" Rachel squeaks, sounding shocked.

"Yeah, it happened in London," Monica answers, her eyes never leaving mine.

"What?!" Phoebe exclaims.

"Joey! You never told me that!" Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Rachel smack Joey's arm; his mouth drops open as he stares at me.

"Seriously?"

I glance at him for a second, shrugging, before my gaze returns to Monica.

The woman I love.

My heart races at that thought, but in a good way.

And she loves me.

I see tears glisten in the corners of her eyes, and some things start to click. All those nights she would cry after we made love, or even during sometimes, the way she would stare at me with such a serious, concentrated look, her eyes never leaving mine…I'm guessing these feelings are not a shock to her.

I lean down to kiss her again, the voices of my friends just background noise right now. She's all that matters. She's all that's mattered for a very long time.

"Monica? Chandler? Hellooo," Rachel says impatiently; Monica runs her hand gently down my face, pulling her lips from mine slowly. She stands in front of me, her hands behind her back, and I slide my fingers through hers.

"Hey, Rache? Can we have some time in the apartment? We need to…talk and stuff."

Joey grins, nearly bouncing with excitement. "Yeah, baby!"

Monica just squeezes my fingers and pulls me to the door.

"No, but…I have so many questions!" Rachel exclaims. "I want to know—"

"Look, Rache," Monica says, cutting her off. "Something really huge just happened in my life, and I really just want to be with my boyfriend right now."

"Yeah, she really just wants to be with her boyfriend right now," I echo, feeling my grin grow wider. "And that's me!" If Monica's hands weren't in mine, I'd be doing my happy dance right now. Instead, we untangle our fingers on one hand and I reach for the door.

"Have fun!" Phoebe calls, and I look back to see her smiling at us happily.

Joey pounds my arm a few times, excitedly. "Yeah, baby!"

I swat at him unsuccessfully as Monica and I head across the hall.

"Eight months…" Rachel says. "Wait a minute! If you've been together eight months, does that mean Chandler was your secret boy—"

"Goodnight, Rache," Monica calls as we slip into her apartment, shutting the door in Rachel's face. She looks up at me for a minute and I swallow heavily. There are so many things right now, so much I want to say, and I just don't know where to begin.

Finally, she gives my hand a tug and in silence we walk across the apartment to her bedroom. I shut the door behind me, and when I turn, she's standing next to her bed, wringing her hands just a bit. "You really love me?" she asks softly, worrying her lower lip with her teeth.

I smile and shake my head. "I really love you," I answer, taking the few steps over to her, my hands sliding around her waist. "So much."

"I really love you, too, Chandler." Her arms go around me, pulling me close, and she buries her face in my chest. I'm sure she can hear my heart pounding.

"I love you, Monica," I whisper; I feel like I can't say it enough.

She laughs, her whole body shaking, and I can feel tears soaking through a couple of spots on my shirt. "Again."

I take her face in my hands, tilting her chin up to me, her eyes meeting mine. "I love you."

A tear slides down her cheek even as she grins at me. "I love you, too." She slides a hand to the back of my neck, pulling my mouth to hers, kissing me fiercely, passionately. I step into her and the backs of her knees hit the edge of her bed; we crumple onto it in a heap, tangled in each other.

Her fingers undo the buttons of my sweater vest as she kicks off her shoes; a moment later, I pull the vest off and nudge my own shoes off with my toes. She tugs at the hem of my shirt, pulling it out of my pants, her fingers gently running up my stomach. I'm about to suggest we slow it down, enjoy this moment, when she sighs against me, pulling her lips from mine, resting her head next to mine on the pillow.

"I'm so happy right now," she whispers, her fingers still lightly stroking my stomach, sending chills up my spine. I slide my hand up her arm, pulling her closer, turning my head to face hers.

"Me, too."

"Hey; when did you first realize that you love me?"

"When I said it. That's horrible, isn't it?"

She shakes her head slowly, smiling at me gently. "No. I think it's great."

I lean over and kiss her. "Yeah; I said it—you heard me, it just sort of exploded out of me—and I realized it was true and…I knew that it had been true for a long time. Monica, I wish I could tell you when it happened. I wish I knew how long I've been in love with you; all I know is that it's been a while. All these things you make me feel…now that I've given it a name, I realize it's been there for while. Maybe I didn't know what it was because nothing has ever felt like this. I've thought I was in love before, and maybe I was, but it was nothing compared to how I feel about you. 'I love you' doesn't seem like enough; it's not strong enough. You're everything…" My voice drifts off, and I feel overcome with emotion. Even now, this is hard to put into words.

"What do I make you feel?" she asks softly, her fingers sliding around to my back.

"Happy," I say instantly. "But even that's not enough. I just…feel things I've never felt before, and even when we fight, I'm still happier than I ever have been with anyone else. I'm excited to wake up in the morning because you're there. I love going to bed because I get to hold you all night." I sigh; I don't feel very eloquent right now. "You really are everything to me, Mon. You're the moon and the stars and…all the other clichés things that I'm not really good at."

She shakes her head at me. "You're really good at this, and I understand. I want so much to tell you how I feel about you, how you make me feel, and I just can't. I can't, because words aren't good enough. Words will never be good enough. I just…" Her eyes fill with tears, her breath hitching. "I just love you so much. And I'm so happy that I can finally say it."

I tuck her hair behind her ear, pulling her closer, her head coming to rest under my chin. "Were you waiting for me to say it first?"

I can feel her nod. "I didn't want to freak you out. I thought if I said it to you, you'd get scared and run away, and I wouldn't be able to deal with that. I could live with loving you in silence, but I couldn't live without you."

"How long have you known that you love me?" I whisper, and she lets out a shuddery sigh.

"A long time."

"How long?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Four months, maybe? It's been a while."

Wow. "That long…and I was just off in my own little world, living in the moment with you."

"That's okay, too, though," she rushes to reassure me, placing a gentle kiss on my neck. "You weren't ready to say it. Look at how you freaked out on Thanksgiving when you said it by accident."

"You know, at the time, I really thought I meant that in a friendly way, but now…I mean, who else would put a turkey on her head to cheer me up? Especially over something that happened ten years ago."

"Well, there's only one person in this world I'd wear a turkey for, that's for sure."

I chuckle for a moment, stroking her back. "Hey, Mon?"

"Hmmm?"

"What was it that made you realize you love me?"

"Nothing."

"That's helpful," I tell her, pinching her side, making her jump.

"No, I mean nothing happened. We were all sitting around watching TV, and I looked over at you; you were already looking at me and…I just knew it. I was more sure of it than I'd ever been of anything else in my life. It was a little scary."

"I think I remember that day. That was when you just decided to take out the trash in the middle of a movie, right?"

"Yeah. I needed…I don't know. A minute, I guess."

I can't help but feel a little in awe of this woman. "And you've held it in all this time?"

"It was worth it. I knew you felt the same way about me, or at least you were close to it. And I knew I could wait for you to be ready."

I reach up, taking her face in my hands once more, pulling back so I can see her. "I love you so much."

Her eyes fill with tears again, and I can't help but wonder if I should expect a lot of this today. "Who knew a drunken, one-night-stand in London would be the best thing that ever happened to me?"

I can't help but laugh—who knew?

"I hope this doesn't kill the moment," I tell her, kissing her forehead gently.

"Oh, God, what?"

I laugh, and she laughs with me—I can't blame her for that reaction. "I just think maybe we should celebrate a little."

"And I suppose you want to celebrate naked."

"The thought did cross my mind. But, Monica…" I take a deep breath, hoping I don't sound too corny. "I want to make love to you. I want to really, honestly make love for the first time in our relationship, with all the feelings out in the open. I don't want to hold anything back."

I feel a shudder run through her body. "I promise," she says, pushing me onto my back. "I won't holdback anything." Then her lips are on mine, her body draped across me. I groan softly and slide my hands under her shirt, up her back, my fingers digging into her flesh.

She pops up onto her knees, pulling her shirt over her head, her hands immediately reaching for my belt buckle. I sit up a little, my fingers tugging at the buttons on my shirt until it's open enough for me to yank it off. I stand up, pulling my pants down, my underwear, my hands going to the button on her pants, fumbling for only a minute until I manage to get them undone. She lies back on the bed, arching her hips up a little, her hands reaching around to her back so she can take off her bra, and I pull off the rest of her clothes.

I've seen her naked hundreds of times by this point, but none of those moments have been as profound as this. There is literally nothing between us now.

We love each other. We love each other and that's all that matters.

I crawl on top her of, pressing my body to hers, her legs falling open to cradle me, our bodies feeling like they fit together even more perfectly than ever before. I slide my arms under her shoulders, wrapping myself around her; her body trembles beneath mine.

Or maybe that's me.

Maybe it's both of us.

I definitely feel shaky right now.

I press my lips against hers slowly, carefully, almost as if I'm afraid this is all a dream, and any second it could be gone. "This is real, isn't it?" I ask softly.

"If it's not, I don't ever want to wake up."

I smile down at her; she's too much.

"I love you," she tells me, and I feel like I'm going to fall apart. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I bring my lips down to her neck, sucking gently at her soft skin. "I love you so much." It's such a relief to finally say this to her, to understand just why I've felt so…incomplete lately.

Maybe not "incomplete." It's not that something's been missing. I think we just needed this part for it all to just fit.

I slide one hand down her side, down her leg, bringing my lips back to hers, and she pushes against me just a little, whimpering into mouth. Part of me, a big part of me, wants to give her the full treatment. She deserves that much. She deserves to be loved and worshipped and adored, and I want to run my lips all over her body, touch every inch of her

Her fingers dig into my shoulders; I kiss my way down her neck, sliding my lips over to the hollow of her throat and she sighs.

I move my lips across to her shoulder, nipping at her clavicle, and she runs her fingers through my hair, her hips starting to thrust against me softly.

I make my way back across her chest to her other shoulder, and she whispers my name. "Chandler."

"I love you," I say, and it's automatic now, an instant response to her and how desperately I need to express myself.

She takes my face in her hands, and I look up at her. Her eyes are a blue I've never seen before; I swallow heavily.

"We have time for all that later," she tells me softly, running her thumbs over my lips, and I kiss them gently.

"I want to worship you," I say, and her eyes close for just a moment as a shudder passes through her body.

"I know you do. But right now…I just want to be with you. I need to be with you."

I lean up, kissing her lips gently. "As you wish," I whisper, and she laughs a little, her feet coming up to brace themselves next to my knees. I shift my hips back, positioning myself, and I look at her once more, meeting her eyes. She nods, tightening her arms around me, and I slide into her slowly. Her mouth drops open, a soft, "Ohhh," escaping her lips. Her chin quivers for a moment, and I breathe heavily, trying to compose myself.

Even this feels different. This amazing act that we've done together more times than I can count in the last eight months, this beautiful, wonderful act that feels amazing every time, that's so powerful and fulfilling, and now, with just three little words, it's like nothing else I've ever felt.

"Are you okay?" we ask each other at the same time, both of us smiling. I see her throat move as she swallows, and I push against her slowly. Her eyes flutter shut for a moment as she sighs. I pull my hips back, then thrust again, and her eyes open once more, meeting mine, and I swear I can feel my soul quake.

"God, Monica," I whisper. She reaches down, taking my hand off her thigh, twining our fingers together. I give her hand a gentle squeeze, rotating my hips against hers, watching her moan again. Her body tightens around mine.

"I love you," she gasps as her hips rise up to meet mine; my heart clenches.

This is so much better than it's ever been.

I thrust into her a little harder, a little faster, watching the emotions play across her face. How did I not realize what this was before now? Am I really that stupid? For whatever reason, this woman really does love me. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm going to try like hell to make sure I don't do anything to lose it.

"Chandler, Chandler, Chandler," she pants, her body moving in time with mine, and I lean down, kissing her, my self-control slipping at an alarming rate.

She moans softly into my mouth, kissing me for as long as she can before we tear our lips away from each other, keeping our foreheads pressed together as we gasp into each other, our eyes meeting once again.

Her fingers tighten around mine, and I bring our joined hands up beside Monica's head, pressing them down into the mattress.

She pushes her hips into mine, increasing the pace, shuddering around for a few seconds, moaning. "Ohhhhhhhhhh."

"I love you." I cannot say it enough; now that I've started saying it, I want to say it all the time.

I can't get enough of hearing her say it to me.

"Oh, my Goooood," she groans suddenly, her entire body arching off the bed, pushing against me, her internal muscles squeezing me, and I start pounding into her; I can't hold it back. I need her with a ferocity I've never known before.

Her entire body shakes as she thrusts against me, her free hand digging into my back, the fingers of the hand twined with mine turning white as she clutches me. I bury my face in her neck for minute, inhaling deeply, and she fills me.

"Oh, God," she gasps. "Ohgod ohgod yeah." I lift my head again, going to kissing, pausing when I see that she's crying again.

"You okay?" I ask, trying to slow myself down a little, but she just nods, pushing against me faster.

"You complete me," she whispers, and I feel my eyes grow wide, my insides shaking.

I've never completed anyone before.

"You complete me, too," I answer, and even though it's scary as hell, it's also true. She is my other half.

Tears fall from her eyes faster even as she smiles at me, her face falling a moment later as she moans into my shoulder, and I can tell from the way her body is tenses around me she only has moments to go.

"Ohhhhhhhh, God, Chandler. Ohhhh. Ohhhhhh. Ohhhhhh. Yes yes YES YES OHHHH LOVE YOU!" Her body thrusts fiercely against mine, her orgasm powerful. "Love you," she wails again, and before I can think, before I can process anything else, I'm losing control on top of her, my body thrusting and pushing and driving into her as I groan into her hair, the orgasm so intense I feel like I'm going to black out.

"I love you." Her body convulses around mine, her moans in my ear only drawing it all out, making it last longer, making it better.

I shudder one last time and collapse unceremoniously on top of her, panting into her chest, my grip on her hand finally loosening; we both flex our fingers for a moment, linking them back together as soon as possible.

"I don't know if I can move," I finally mumble, and I can feel her laugh rumble through her chest.

"I don't want you to." She runs her hand through my hair, rubbing my neck gently, and I sigh.

This is where I always want to be.

Just me and the woman I love.

Together.

*A/N…so, how's this for an "I love you" fic?

No, seriously…how is it?

As an added bonus, here's how I originally wrote this as a one-shot MONTHS ago.

As soon as I told Monica that I love her, I realized that I'd known that for a long time. Maybe I didn't let myself think about it, but once those words left my lips, I could understand that…feeling that had been inside of me for so long.

I don't even know how to describe it other than "feeling," because it wasn't just in one place, like my heart. It was all of me; it feels like Monica is in me, that she's a part of me, and I can feel it from top to bottom.

I feel such relief at finally telling her that I can't understand why I waited so long. I feel lighter, and so much happier than I've ever been.

It seems silly that three little words makes me want to be around her even more, but I feel like, right now, I am physically unable to take my hands off of her.

The smile on my face is almost literally from ear to ear. I look down at her face and the same happiness is reflected back up at me; a smile that won't quit, eyes sparkling like I've never seen before. And it's all for me. That thought makes my heart race even more—Monica is mine. This amazing, beautiful, strong, crazy woman is mine. She has been for a long time.

I can hear our friends jabbering in the background—about what, I don't know. I don't bother paying attention. Instead, I simply say to Monica, "I love you."

Instantly, she replies, "I love you, too."

Happily, I kiss her. I briefly register our friends making some sort of crack about us getting a room, but I ignore them. In this moment, there's no one but Monica and me. The world around us has ceased to exist and there's just this.

Me and the love of my life.

Wow.