One-Shot: The One Where Monica Finishes Her Proposal
"You wanted it to be a surprise."
Chandler stood, open-mouthed, staring at the woman he loved while surrounded by hundreds of candles. Turning back to Joey, his best friend only gave him a 'my-work-here-is-done,' knowing smirk and quietly closed the door.
Chandler whirled back around to Monica, swallowing hard. "Oh, my God…."
He watched as Monica matched his gulp, before she slowly knelt before him.
The image of her on her knees before him was a jarring sight, and not just because of what she was about to say. Chandler and Monica didn't really get into fellatio often, but when they did engage in oral sex, Chandler never liked it when Monica was in the more submissive position. He much preferred that she be the dominant one and take control.
He had never been more in love with her, seeing her take control now. She gazed up at him, seeming in awe of him.
"Chandler…. In all my life…. I never thought I would be so lucky…. as to fall in love with my best…. My best…." He heard the choke in her voice and she bowed her head slightly, attempting to stave off the tears. "Gah, there's a reason why girls don't do this!" She blubbered, looking lost and helpless.
"Ok, Ok….." Chandler, near tears himself, joined her down on the floor, kneeling across from her. He started to open his mouth, thinking that if he had to be nudged into making the biggest commitment of his life, he was grateful that it was in the interest of saving her.
So he was surprised when Monica held up a hand. "No, wait, please, I need to say this!" She took a deep, calming breath, her head bowed as she composed herself. Lifting her eyes to meet Chandler's, tears were still swimming in those pools of sapphires, but when she next spoke, her voice was back to almost even.
"I never thought…. That someone could love me…. as much as you do." She smiled helplessly. "I know I'm not easy sometimes, to be with, but you are the only man…. I've ever been with…. who has accepted me…. flaws and all. The least I can do is do the same. I understand how scared you are about committing, babe, but I've seen you…. grow into an even more wonderful man than you were in London. Which is why I've decided: I don't need a big, loud wedding! We can go marry at the courthouse, I don't care, but please…." The tears started streaming down Monica's face. "Please marry me, Chandler. If you'll have me." She started to weep. "I can't live without you…. I'm so sorry I even made you wait for me as long as I did. Even back at Montauk, I sensed you were trying to tell me something, but I was scared." She smiled at him helplessly. "We're not so different, you and I. We both scare easy. That's what makes us so right. We can be scared together." She took a deep breath. "But what scares me more is not having you in my life. God, Chandler, if I didn't have you…. I think I would die."
Chandler was staring at her, speechless, tears beginning to well up in his own orbs.
"Chandler…." Monica smiled, and a sob burst free. "My love…." Tenderly framing his face, she kissed him deeply on the lips before moving on to pepper kisses along his face. On his eyelids. On his nose. On his mouth once more. "My love," she repeated, helpless and heartsick. "Will you marry me?"
For a moment, Chandler could only gaze at Monica in amazement, even as she bowed her head and started to weep in earnest.
Finally, Chandle cradled her face in his hands, tilted it up. His lips sealed over hers in a deep, passionate kiss. Feeling her eyes droop shut even as the tears flowed unabated, Monica threw her arms around her lover's neck and sank into the embrace in desperate relief, kissing him back.
When they broke apart, she was nearly breathless. She lifted her eyes to his, searching his face.
"Yes," Chandler answered quite simply.
Monica blinked, and hope alighted her face like dawn breaking across the sky. "Really?"
"Yes, I will," Chandler nodded. "I'll marry you." He ducked his head, feeling ashamed. "That is… if you'll still have me, after all the idiotic things I said."
Monica chuckled wetly. "Of course I'll have you….!" she hugged him around the neck, rubbing his back. "What would make you think otherwise?"
Chandler drew back, looking sheepish but also painfully insecure. "I know you went to Richard's…" he mumbled. He was careful to keep any anger or bitterness out of his tone; even so, his heart broke when Monica flushed. At her look of surprise, he explained. "I went over there looking for you. Richard actually told me to go after you. He said nothing happened."
Monica gently cradled Chandler's face in her hands, catching his eyes and holding them. "Nothing did happen," she insisted. "But I'm still sorry I ever went there in the first place; I shouldn't have. It's just…. you were going on and on about pig sex, and not wanting to get married and….. Chandler?" she blinked, concerned as Chandler started to sob unashamedly.
"I'm so sorry, Monica…. I'm so sorry…." Chandler wiped his nose noisily on his sleeve.
"Oh, sweetie…. It's OK….. I should have realized it was just you still being freaked out about that message on the answering machine…."
"I wasn't freaked out," Chandler cut across her.
Monica blinked, smirking bemusedly. "What are you talking about? I was there!"
She was startled by how Chandler now froze her with a smirk on his face. It painted for a pretty startling picture, considering the rivulets of tears still clinging to his cheeks. "You think Joey's the only one who knows how to act?"
Monica stared at her lover, bewildered. Her blue eyes only expanded as she watched Chandler pull out a ring box, and she drew both hands to her mouth.
"Oh my God…."
Chandler's grin only broadened, and there was a quality to it that was simultaneously both sheepish and smug. "I knew about the venue the whole time, honey. I even toured it with Phoebe. It's beautiful…."
"Phoebe?" Monica frowned.
"Now don't get mad at her; she was just helping me! She helped me pick out this ring too!" Chandler now clicked open the ring box, his heart leaping at how Monica's jaw dropped. "When I freaked out about the answering machine, that was all an act, to throw you off the scent! So was the stupid stuff about the sex and the godforsaken pigs!" Chandler winced. "I guess I should be the actor instead of Joey, because apparently I was too believable!"
Monica reached out a hand to gingerly finger the ring. "So…. so, hold on: when were you going to….? You mean you were going to propose to me the whole time and to surprise me, you…. you decided to nearly give me a heart attack by claiming you didn't want to get married….?" Her face roiled; she seemed undecided whether to laugh or hit him. "Chandler Bing, that is the silliest….. Mmmm!"
He kissed her passionately, and parting her lips for him, Monica greedily returned it. When they broke apart, they were both panting, all the worse from how they had been crying.
"I know. I'm an idiot. A surprise seemed like a good idea at the time, but in order to do it, I figured I would need to do things to throw you off the scent!" Chandler hung his head. "Instead, I nearly lost you forever."
Monica just smiled compassionately. "You wouldn't have lost me, sweetie…"
"After the stupid things I said? I wouldn't have blamed you for not waiting around forever."
Monica caressed his face. "I would have waited as long as it took…." She vowed quietly. She grinned tenderly. "You waited for me, even before we got together in London."
Chandler shook his head, still stunned with himself at how he had nearly screwed this all up. "I was going to propose tonight, at the restaurant," he explained. "But then Richard…."
"I don't want to talk about Richard," Monica interrupted, shaking her head. Though she could understand how he must have felt, the insecurities that must have arisen in him. She was just sorry that she had compounded them unnecessarily. "You were going to propose to me in the restaurant?" Her heart melted.
Chandler sent her an amused look. "Don't pretend like you didn't sense it was coming. The Big Tree made his entrance as I was winding up!"
Pursing her lips in an 'Eh' smile, conceding his point, Monica gestured for him to continue.
Chandler swallowed hard, feeling the lump catch in his throat. "I thought…. I can do this!" he told himself. "I thought…. That it mattered…. What I said, or…. where I said it, and then I realized that the only thing that matters is that you… make me happier… than I ever thought I could be… and if you'll let me…. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way…." He now held up the ring, looking so solemn and sure. He had never been more sure of anything in his life. "Monica…. Will you marry me?"
Monica lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her radiant smile, even through her tears streaming anew. "Yes…..!" she whimpered.
Chandler grinned with relief and solemnly slipped the ring onto her finger. Melting into each other's arms, the newly engaged couple embraced and dreamily kissed.
"Can you let us in?! WE'RE DYING OUT HERE!" Joey bawled through the door.
"Come in! Come in!" Monica called, beckoning. When Joey, Rachel and Phoebe burst in, she held up her adorned ring finger. "WE'RE ENGAGED!"
Their friends cheered and dragged the happy couple in for a group hug. Over everyone else's heads, amidst the faces crying tears of joy, Chandler and Monica shared beaming, love-struck smiles.
"Thank you for asking me, honey," Chandler murmured.
Beaming, Monica looped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for asking me." Giggling, they leaned in and kissed softly. Drawing back, Monica nodded at her…. her fiancé proudly. "I knew you could do it."
His smile smoldering, Chandler stole an arm around his fiancée's waist and pulled her close. "Yeah. I know."
With that, the future Mr. and Mrs. Bing lost themselves in another, long kiss.