A/N This is my first ever attempt at a fic so I hope it is vaguely readable, and I apologize in advance for the hundreds of inevitable mistakes!
It will be a multi-chapter fic and a bit of a slow burner, with angst aplenty. The narrative will eventually include some very dark and sensitive themes (not graphic), so I will apply trigger-warnings on a chapter-by-chapter basis as necessary.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters and no money will be made - it's just for fun.
"So have you guys set a date yet?" Rachel leaned forward to sip from her steaming mug with an excited glint of mischief in her eye. She raised her eyebrows expectantly at the newly-engaged couple who were nestled comfortably together on the sofa adjacent to her in the coffee house.
"Give us a chance, we literally got engaged two weeks ago!" Chandler exclaimed, lightly ruffling his new fiancée's dark hair affectionately. He examined her face somewhat nervously for any trace of wedding fever, but was relieved to observe nothing more than a relaxed smile.
"So what? It's never too early to start wedding planning!" Rachel responded incredulously. She glanced up as the door to the coffee house suddenly swung open "Oh, hey Mon!" she called as her best friend and roommate, Monica, made her way briskly into Central Perk.
Monica's eyes scanned the sofa and upon noting the identity of the occupants of the group's favored area of the coffee house, her jaw clenched slightly, and she raised her nose somewhat haughtily to the air.
Chandler and Kathy shifted their position on the couch in order to be able to turn to offer her a tentative greeting.
"Hi" came the clipped response, as Monica breezed past the trio straight to the counter, offering only the briefest of smiles that did not come close to reaching her cool blue eyes.
Kathy raised her eyebrows, let out a resigned sigh and leaned into Chandler who gave her shoulder a small squeeze of reassurement. Rachel shot the couple an awkward half-smile and rose from her seat to join her best friend at the counter.
"You OK?" she touched Monica lightly on the arm.
"Yeah" Monica sighed, turning to offer her friend an altogether warmer but weary smile.
"You're not staying?" Rachel asked rhetorically, as Gunther set down a takeaway cup of coffee in front of the pair whilst Monica counted cash into his palm.
"No, I have a few errands to run and Pete is back in the city tonight and he wants me to go with him to some award ceremony or grand opening or something" she replied, the shake of her head and dismissive wave of her hand betraying a complete lack of enthusiasm for this plan. "I might stay at his place tonight, I'm not sure. So don't wait up."
She pulled Rachel into a brief hug before ensuring the lid to her coffee cup was secure and turning to leave. "Thanks Gunther" she called back to the blond barista, directing a cursory wave to Chandler and Kathy as she made for the door.
Chandler's eyes followed her gravely as he attempted to repress a wave of sadness that pulsed through him. He had been close friends with Monica for a good ten years, and throughout that time their relationship had provided him with a constant source of much needed stability and reliability, and so much more besides. This prolonged episode of being shunned and ignored by her made his stomach churn and his heart physically ache, and despite being able to think about very little else over the past few weeks, he still had no idea how he was going to fix this rift.
"Well I'm glad things aren't still awkward between me and your friends" Kathy remarked sarcastically.
"She'll come round" Rachel offered her a sympathetic smile, as she settled into her seat again.
"I know you guys are close" Kathy addressed Chandler a frown darkening her pretty features, "and I understand her being wary of me now, but I have apologised over and over for what I did. We're trying to move on and she's still refusing to drop this ice queen act! Everyone else has managed to be amicable and forgiving. I mean, did she always just hate me anyway? She must have! It feels like there's more to this than just her being protective of a friend."
Chandler swallowed hard as he observed his fiancées confusion at his friend's continued cold treatment of her. Of them both. Ever since he and Kathy had decided to give their relationship another chance, Monica had barely been able to look at Kathy, much less offer her any words of civility. And the couple's recent engagement had only served to make matters worse. The fact that their other friends had managed to be genial, welcoming her back into the fold with relative ease, only served to highlight Monica's refusal to engage, and Kathy's obvious bewilderment and discomfort was becoming a constant source of guilt for Chandler. Because, of course, he knew that she was absolutely correct in her supposition that there was more to Monica's ire than an inability to move on from Kathy's indiscretion with her co-star, Nick.
"It's not you" Chandler murmured quietly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and running his fingers pensively through his hair.
Kathy's head snapped round to look at him. "Well it certainly feels like it!" she countered dejectedly.
Chandler took a deep breath before admitting with resignation "Look...it's my fault. It's me she's angry with"
"What?" Kathy's eyes roamed his face inquisitively and Rachel too regarded him with curiosity.
"Not here" he squeezed Kathy's hand "I'll explain at home".
Kathy's eyes narrowed with concern. She didn't like the sound of this at all.
"So do you fancy watching a movie later maybe? And I was thinking I might order pizza... " Chandler was rambling nervously as he unlocked the door to Apartment 20, sauntering inside with Kathy close on his heels. He tossed his keys flamboyantly into the fruit bowl, adopting the overly-casual manner of a person who knew he was about to have an incredibly difficult but ultimately inevitable conversation. One he had been dreading for a number of weeks.
Kathy was not fooled by his display of joviality. "Chandler" she stopped him sternly. "What's going on?"
He sighed deeply and took a seat at the small kitchen table, gesturing for his fiancee to join him.
"Okay" he began carefully, but with purpose "Monica. She doesn't hate you." He plucked a rosy apple from the bowl in front of him and began to twirl the stalk anxiously between his fingers. "Something happened, the night I found out about you and... Nick" he struggled to even say the guy's name and upon hearing it, Kathy's gaze immediately dropped guiltily to the floor.
"I got drunk" Chandler explained, "I did something really stupid, I've apologized and at first she said she forgave me, but I guess I've just made things really awkward for everyone"
"What did you do?" Kathy whispered, her serious, dark eyes boring into his as her gaze returned to his face, in the full knowledge that she was not going to like his response.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you all this before, but it was just a stupid moment of madness, I was so upset, I was drunk, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so embarrassed and..."
"What did you do?" she repeated slowly and more firmly.
He rested his elbows on the table, leaned forward and rubbed his temples before meeting her deep brown eyes once more.
"I kissed her".