AUTHOR'S NOTE: Enjoy this peace while it lasts, it's only going downhill from here...

Also, this chapter was heavily inspired by Seinfeld S2xE9 The Deal. You'll definitely see it's influences here and the next couple chapters.

Fun fact: The very first draft of this fic, I wrote in early May, and it was going to take place right after London. I wrote half a chapter over a week but I hated how it turned out, so I gave up. Then, I watched that episode of Seinfeld, and it gave me so much inspiration for this idea of a Mondler friends-with-benefits story so I immediately started again, and here we are, 7 chapters later! I wanted to share that because this story was sooo close to not being written at all, and now we're halfway through the whole story. Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and I hope you'll all stick around for this second half.

Secrets are difficult; it's a hassle having to keep something to yourself, especially when some of your closest friends are Rachel Green and Phoebe Buffay, who thrive on gossip. Monica was never the biggest fan of secrets– they were too much of a burden. She naturally loves to discuss other people's lives with her friends, so when she isn't able to have those debriefs, what was even the point of receiving such private information? Recently, however, she learns the fun side of secrets; the thrill of taboo within a group of such tight-knit friends excited her in a way she never knew was possible. So, when she and Chandler begin having regular sexual intercourse under their friend's noses, she rethinks her stance on secrecy.

It wasn't something that happened often, which made it all the more special. After their most recent encounter, she couldn't bring herself to keep her hands off of him– and neither could he. On the rare occasions that both of their respective roommates were absent, Chandler would scurry off to apartment 20 and they'd participate in their newfound hobby. Sirens rang in Monica's head every time Chandler began to undress her, but the feelings of lust were strong enough to drown out the noise. She couldn't care less about whatever consequences might come, because it was fun, and Monica needed fun. Both of them did.

But fun is only fun when it is structured– so Monica decided they needed to lay down some ground rules for how this was going to work.

Her first rule– "We can only do this when both Joey and Rachel aren't home. We're not taking any big risks."

This meant their chances were limited. Very quickly, they found a loophole to the situation– it didn't matter who was home if they weren't doing it at home. Soon, Chandler's office became their new spot, which allowed them to meet up much more often. They once even attempted to have sex in a supply closet at Allesandro's, but the deep-clean shower Monica felt was necessary afterwards didn't seem sustainable enough to continue doing regularly, so they stuck to their bedrooms and Chandler's office. That was good enough for them.

Chandler declared their second rule– "No intimacy allowed! This is strictly sexual!"

While their first couple times were emotionally-fueled, they swore off of that for the rest. They would only have sex if they wanted to have sex– that was the only reason they were allowed to have sex. Not if they were sad, not if they were angry, not if they missed each other– only carnal desire.

Their third rule was an important one. "This is not exclusive– we're allowed to date anyone we want, and that's when this will end."

Because at the end of the day, it still didn't mean anything. A tough pill for Monica to swallow, but things were better off this way. Much simpler. Their sex was nothing more than a way to pass time until one of them landed a partner– "practice, to keep our gears in shape" is how Chandler described it. In the night they would trade their heat and sweat, but in the day, they were nothing more than just a couple of friends. A couple of friends with a couple of benefits.

Keeping these two lives separate proved much easier than expected– the initial awkwardness was nowhere to be found. Whenever they had sex, they could easily move on with their day and pretend none of it happened; but Monica knows it won't go forgotten, because she'll look at Chandler while their friends are babbling, and he'll give her a cheeky smile. Everyone else must think he's just in a good mood, but she knows why he's smiling, and she smiles too. They smile over their little secret.

She made a promise to herself not to think of Chandler any differently now, because he was the same guy he had always been– just naked. Sometimes, however, she finds herself breaking her promise; when he comes back from work and greets their friends, and all she can think about is how sexy he looks in his suit. Or the times he licks his fingers clean after a meal and it reminds her of the night before. Or, on the present Sunday morning, when they're lying in bed together.

Chandler, who spent the night with her, laid in bed still asleep. One arm was under the pillow and the other at his side, far from Monica who silently observed him. One of their rules was that they weren't allowed to cuddle, because that was something only couples do, and they were not a couple. They weren't strangers to cuddling– most days, they'd be tangled up together on the couch, and that was a norm they had set a long time ago. Chandler proposed it would be better for the both of them if they gave that up, as to not let their friendship bleed into their "partnership". While it was something they decided and agreed on together, Monica couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment whenever she'd wake up and was facing his back, covered in her own scratches.

As if he could feel her stare, Chandler's eyes slowly flutter open, and Monica is given a few seconds to appreciate Chandler in his most natural state– barely awake, with a peaceful but slightly agitated expression on his face, and his hair in a frenzy. His tranquillity quickly replaced with surprise, as his head jerked back to create distance between him and Monica.

"G-good morning." He greeted hesitantly.

These mornings together were somewhat difficult, having to transition back into just friends. Normally, she would kiss her partner in a moment like this, but Chandler wasn't her partner. In fact, she's not sure if they're allowed to kiss at all anymore– it felt too intimate for the current relationship they had, and as Rule #2 states, No Intimacy Allowed!

To keep their friendship intact and separate from their sexual relationship, she simply ruffles his hair and gets out of bed. She's been feeling a lot more like herself ever since they got into this arrangement, and Chandler definitely took notice.

"So, now that we're having sex, you're not at all mad at me anymore?" He asked, looking away as she dressed herself. One of their other rules was that they were not allowed to see each other naked outside of sex.

"Exactly." She chuckled. It made her a bit uneasy to think about, though. The day of their argument, they were all over each other, and then never spoke about their quarrels afterwards– it was all buried under their secret meetings. Truthfully, that conversation is something Monica would like to revisit so that she could fully understand Chandler's feelings and he could understand hers. She wants to know how he could ever perceive her as being shallow enough to sleep with any guy with a beating heart; but things were so good as they were, and she didn't want to ruin that.

She heard the floor creak as Chandler got out of bed, and stood still– giving him the privacy he needed to dress himself. Frankly, the stroll from Monica's apartment to Chandler's was short enough that he could just walk over and grab a new change of clothes, but the chances of someone conveniently walking by right at the same time freaked Monica out enough that he had to leave in the same outfit he came in.

"So, any big plans today?" He asked, patting her shoulder to signal that he was finished.

She flinched at his sudden touch. "Nothing special, I might just grab some groceries and call it a day."

"Woah! Monica, lay it easy! You've got work in the morning!" He teased dramatically, in a voice that she found somewhat annoying, but never failed to bring a smile to Monica's face. She rolled her eyes and led him out to the living room, where she'd begin to prepare breakfast for them two and whoever else would stumble upon apartment 20.

And one by one, each friend inevitably made their way to the girls' apartment to partake in breakfast and talk about their nights. Joey came back from a long night with a girl he met at Central Perk, who to no one's surprise, will not be hearing a call from him anytime soon. Phoebe came over and decided she wanted to try contributing to breakfast for once, bringing vegan cookies she had spent all night preparing. Everyone immediately discarded them in napkins under the table. Rachel and Ross came from the latter's apartment, and encouraged everyone to help them settle an argument they had the night before. Now that all their friends were gathered here, Chandler lost his window of time to change out of last night's clothes– but it's not like anyone would notice.

"There is nothing wrong with saying another girl is pretty! It's just stating a fact! I never said I'd go for her!" Ross declared.

"That's still not something you say in front of your girlfriend, Ross!" Rachel shot back.

All of their arguments were structured the same, with one of them– more often than not Ross– exhibiting some sort of behaviour that was close to cheating, but not quite there. They always turned to their friends to weigh in on the situation and decide a winner, but the response was almost always the same. No one ever really cared enough.

Ross turned to his sister for assistance, but all Monica could do was shrug. "You're not supposed to say that in front of your girlfriend, Ross."

It was 1-0 for Rachel.

Then, Ross turned to the hungry man sitting to his right, sure that Joey would be on his side. He guessed correctly, as Joey gave his insight and defended his friend. "I dunno, Rach, I don't think calling a girl pretty is all that bad. Checking her out, though? Different story."

Rachel opened her mouth before being cut off by Ross, saying that the debate at hand was only about the compliment and no other factors should be considered. 1-1.

Based on the order in which everyone sat around the table, it would be Chandler's turn to give his opinion. "Gee, I don't know! I've never had to think about a situation like this…" He pretended to ponder, scratching his chin and leaning back in his chair– Monica always told him that one day, he'd go too far and fall over. He's only begun to do it more often to annoy her on purpose, but today she looks more amused than anything else.

They all ignored his sarcastic comment and turned to Phoebe who would act as the tie breaker. She slowly munched on her cookie, building suspense for who's side she would take and ultimately who would be decided as this week's winner between the beloved couple. Phoebe swallowed her food, and pointed to Chandler.

"Weren't you wearing those same clothes yesterday?"

He immediately sat up straight, his chair making a loud thud as the legs quickly met the floor again. Monica stood behind the group as they sat at the kitchen table, so while her reaction was not as noticeable, she definitely held the same shock as the boy in the spotlight. The two were as careful as they possibly could be when it came to hiding their secret relations, but no matter how good they were at covering themselves up, Monica knew that there was a good chance Phoebe would catch on sooner or later. She always does.

Chandler's eyes darted to Monica, a silent cry for help. The longer he stayed quiet, the more suspicious his innocent mistake looked. She quickly said the first excuse that came to her mind.

"Can you believe he ran out of change for the laundry machine? He's stuck in his dirty clothes." Monica lied, walking over behind Chandler's seat and slapping him on the shoulder. He turned and gave her a questioning look, similar to that of everyone else's, but he'd just have to be grateful that she said anything at all.

Monica braced for impact, waiting for someone to connect the dots and accuse the two of sleeping together. Rachel, however, spoke to him in her judging tone of voice. "What? Chandler, it's like, a dollar."

"Yeah– well– y'know–" he choked up. "Sometimes a man doesn't have a dollar!"

"You know, this would be the perfect time for you to put a tooth under a pillow!" Phoebe suggested, with Joey nodding along. "I've got some extra lying around if you need one."

Chandler politely– and with great concern– declined her offer. With her hand still on his shoulder, Monica could feel Chandler's tension relieved as the conversation geared towards the idea of Chandler having not a single coin to his name– not the probability of it like Monica feared, but rather Chandler's irresponsibility that led him to this point. Cheers to Chandler's poor-enough reputation that everyone immediately took Monica's words as truth!

Eventually breakfast came to a close and the guests slowly poured out of the apartment to carry on with their respective Sunday plans. Chandler stuck around for a little longer than usual, helping Monica with putting away the dishes left by their friends. This sort of hospitality wasn't something she usually saw from him, but if this was one of the benefits that came with their new relationship, then she'd gladly accept.

As Monica washed each plate to sparkly-white perfection, Chandler's arm extended out in front of her, delivering the remaining glasses that needed to be rinsed. He stood close behind her, the only thing between them being the fabric of their clothes. He leaned down and whispered,

"You know, tomorrow's probably gonna be a slow day at work, if you wanted to come over and…liven things up?" He asked softly, and though she couldn't see it, she could tell he had that same crooked smile he had anytime he was excited.

His warm breath against her ear sent tingles throughout her body, but she managed to maintain a steady and quiet voice. "You do realise Rachel's in the living room, right?"

"True, but I think I'd scare her off if I asked her to do anything with me." He shifted around to Monica's side, leaning against the counter. Monica playfully shooed him off, little bubbles of soap flying off her hand and wetting his shirt.

Interrupting their banter, Rachel jumped from the couch and into the conversation with an eager look on her face. "Monica! I almost forgot!"

She swiped her soapy gloves off and set them aside on the counter, giving Rachel her full attention.

"Listen– this guy I work with saw us together down at the coffee shop, and he said you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and he really wants to go out with you! Here, I got you his number." She placed a piece of paper in Monica's hands. "I think this will be really good for you! After your breakup and all."

Monica glanced at the small paper in her palms, eyes wide, as if she had never been asked out before. "Rach, that was months ago! I don't need a pick-me-up." She pushed past Rachel to properly tuck in the kitchen stools, trying to avoid seeing her pick-me-up's knowing smirk.

"Yeah, and you haven't gotten a single date since then! Aren't you bored? Aren't you…" Rachel paused in search of a word. "...unsatisfied?"

"I don't know, she seems fine to me." Chandler chimed in– he seemed to be having a lot of fun with this conversation. He piped down once Monica glared at him, before returning to Rachel.

"I'm fine, Rachel. I don't even know this guy."

"But he's great! He's funny, sweet, smart, cute–"

Monica put an end to Rachels list of adjectives. "Then you date him!"

It had been long enough that Monica could begin considering a new relationship, but that idea hadn't crossed her mind in a while. With Chandler in the room, it's hard to accept the offer. They've already discussed this before– "This is not exclusive– we're allowed to date anyone we want, and that's when this will end". Monica was free to go out and do whatever she wanted without hurting Chandler's feelings, and yet, that didn't sound all that enticing anymore. To say she was entirely happy with how things were right now was a lie, but there was something special about their arrangement that left her opening her door for him as often as she did. She didn't want to kill a good thing.

"I'm not interested, end of story." Monica concluded, and Rachel frowned in defeat. She was unsure why her roommate was so determined to get her on this date; it was a nice gesture, but Monica had other things on her mind now. Those other things had his arms crossed and a big grin, basking in the glory of going un-scolded now that they had a witness.

"Fine, but don't say I don't do anything for you!" Rachel pointed frustratingly at Monica before retreating to her bedroom, ironically leaving the rest of the cleanup to her roommate.

Now that they were alone, Chandler was no longer confined to speaking in low decibels. "Why don't you call the guy? He's funny, sweet, smart, cute, everything you'd want in a Ken doll."

Monica couldn't give an answer, because she's not entirely sure herself. Months had passed, but fear still clouded her heart. Was she really ready for a full-fledged relationship? Perhaps, but the bigger question was if she was ready to let go of this casual thing she had with Chandler. Normally she would jump at the chance of going out with someone with as many words of praise that Rachel described him in; but now that she's had a taste of her friend across the hall, she thinks she could hold out for a little longer.

"Like I said– I'm just not interested." Monica excused, rounding up whatever was left over on the kitchen table and taking it back to the sink.

A beat of silence passed before Chandler made sure she was aware of her rights. "You remember our rule, right? We're not holding each other back from future dates and whatever?"

"Clear as day."

If Chandler wanted to go out on a date with someone– perhaps the girl from his office– then he could go ahead, and Monica wouldn't care. She's only staying in the arrangement because the thought of suddenly leaving him alone felt rude. To leave a heart-broken man all alone, grappling with his own tragedies of cheater after cheater? She could never do such a thing! She has to stay and make sure he's alright– that's all it is. Monica is just being her usual caring self. Once Chandler moves on, she will too.

"Well, you do you. I'm gonna go 'do my laundry'" Chandler curled his fingers into quotation marks before taking on a sarcastic tone. "Oh, yeah, thanks for telling everyone I'm broke, by the way."

"How about next time, I leave you alone to fend for yourself?"

He quickly rescinded his previous snarkiness. "You've always been such a great friend!"

Chandler left the room, but before doing so, planted a quick kiss on her cheek. After he was gone, her fingers lingered on the spot his lips touched. This wasn't new– his goodbyes were always a toss up between a high five and these innocent pecks; but they've taken on a whole new meaning now, a meaning she can't decipher. There was no rule regarding kisses– did this count as intimate? No, they've always kissed each other's cheeks. Oh no, Monica knew the guidelines weren't clear enough!

The most difficult thing about this new partnership was having to re-evaluate their friendship and the things they used to do, because there were certain things they just can't do if they were going to have regular sex. It was a lot to think about all at once, and the whole point of what she had with Chandler was that it was easy. She shakes her head, trying to get rid of the heavy thoughts, and focuses on the present moment. All she needs to figure out right now is what she'll wear to Chandler's office tomorrow.