The One With The Alternate London
Rated 'NC-17'
By: Jana~
*****~*****
--"You're not still upset about what that guy told you, are you?" Chandler asked after he invited Monica into his hotel room…
"Wouldn't you be?" she asked, melancholy, sipping her scotch on the rocks with a twist…
"Well, look, it's been a really emotional time, y'know, and you've had a lot to drink, and you just gotta let that go! Ok? I mean, you were the most beautiful woman in the room tonight!"
"Really?"
"Are you kidding? You're the most beautiful woman in most rooms…"
Without warning, Monica lurched forward and started kissing Chandler passionately. Caught up in the moment, he did nothing but kiss back… at first…
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What's going on?" he finally pulled back, looking shocked… "You and I just made out. You and I are making out?"
"Well, not anymore!"
"But we don't do that."
"I know… I just thought it would be fun."
"How drunk are you?"
"Drunk enough that I know I want to do this… not so drunk that you should feel guilty about taking advantage."
After thinking about that for a moment… "Well, that's the perfect amount!" he exclaimed, leading her quickly towards the bed.
"You know what's weird?" Monica asked, breaking their kiss…
"What?"
"This doesn't feel weird!"
"I know!"
"You're a really good kisser!"
"Well, I have kissed over 4 women." He joked, kissing her again. "Wanna get under the covers?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"Ok."
They pulled the sheets and blankets down, climbing under them, then started undressing.
"Wow. You are really fast!" she told him, noticing how quickly he was out of his PJs…
"It bodes well for me that speed impresses you…" he joked…
"We're gonna see each other naked." She realized…
"Yep."
"Wanna do it at the same time?"
"On the count of 3?"
They counted down, then peeked under the covers, coming back up with shocked and impressed expressions on their faces…
"Well, I think it's safe to say our friendship has been effectively ruined…" he said after a moment…
"Eh, we weren't that close anyway…" Monica joked…
"Eh…" was Chandler's quick response as they started kissing again…
It took a moment to realize that there were keys in the door, then Chandler looked towards the door, panicking…
"It's Joey! It's Joey! It's Joey!"
Monica quickly tried diving under the covers before Joey could see her, but she wasn't fast enough.
Joey only saw that someone dove under the covers… he didn't know it was Monica…
"Oh, dude, I'm so sorry!" Joey apologized… "Sorry ma'am…" he said to the bulge in the sheets outlining Monica…
"It's ok Joe, but… y'know…" Chandler gestured towards the door…
"Yeah, right, I just… I'm still with my bridesmaid, I just need-- Where's that box of condoms you brought?"
"They're in my bag over there…"
"Thanks…" Joey grabbed the box and headed for the door…
"Dude!" Chandler called out, causing Joey to turn around… "Leave me some!"
"Oh! Right! Geez…" he opened the box and tossed him a condom, then turned to leave…
"Joe! It's my box! You take ONE!"
"Alright, alright! Sorry!" Joey sighed, exasperated…
After Joey left, Monica came up from under the blankets…
"It's hot under there…" she chuckled, trying to lighten the sobering situation…
Chandler just looked at her for a moment, then smiled… "So, the moment's kinda ruined, huh?"
Monica shrugged…
"I mean, maybe it's for the best… right? Let's face it… we're friends! It would be… awkward… afterwards…"
"I guess…" she agreed sadly, disappointed…
"Monica, I'm not… I'm not turning you down!" he assured her… "A night with you would be… well, incredible! Beyond incredible! But, I love you too much to ruin our friendship over one amazing night of passion…"
"But, what if it didn't?"
"Ruin our friendship?" he verified the question…
She nodded.
Chandler sighed… "Are we willing to take that risk?"
She shrugged again. She didn't know how to answer that question… so she responded by leaning in and kissing him. It was spectacular… like in the movies… fireworks and everything. When she pulled back and looked in his eyes, she saw something. Something she had seen before, but could never quite place…
He grew anxious as she stared at him… his heart racing just a little bit faster…
"Chandler, remember when we went to the beach? When Phoebe found her birth mom?" Monica asked, interrupting the sexually charged moment…
"That question is kinda out of nowhere…" he quipped, but his humor did not deter her…
"You were hurt when I implied that you weren't boyfriend material… weren't you?"
He shrugged…
"You know I didn't mean it like that, right? I didn't mean that you would make a lousy boyfriend… I just meant that I had never seen you in that light…" she paused before continuing… "Until now…"
Placing his hand gently but firmly on the back of her head, he pulled Monica to him and kissed her passionately…
"I want more than one night, Monica…" he whispered, almost dreading her answer…
She smiled and nodded, leaning in to kiss him again.
He caressed her hungrily, his hands finding her every erogenous zone with ease, knowing her better than she would have thought possible. Every touch, every stroke brought new sensations, bringing her desire to an almost frenzied state…
She felt drunk, but not from alcohol… the alcohol had long since worn off. Her body was on fire not from scotch, but from Chandler. Sweet, funny, adorable Chandler… only now… he was more. He was sexy, and passionate, and loving. His lips were soft on her skin, his mouth finding her taught nipples, one, then the other.
The most incredible woman in the world was in his arms, the knowledge of that made Chandler reel. He wanted her. He'd never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her… but he concentrated on her needs. He could wait… he wanted this moment with Monica to be memorable. He wanted to remember forever what it felt like to hold her, caress her, kiss her, make love to her…
His touch… his hands… his lips… he had taken her to the brink of insanity… "Chandler… please…" she pleaded in a whisper… she wanted him inside her…
He grabbed a condom off the nightstand and opened it, putting it on, then quickly returned to her, kissing her as he slowly entered her. Gathering her in his arms, Chandler made love to Monica… fulfilling her needs completely before allowing his own release.
--They lied silent in each other's arms, spent and panting. Chandler pulled her tighter to him, protectively… kissing her hair, inhaling the sweet smell of her shampoo… he literally felt euphoric…
"Wow…" Monica finally broke the silence… "That was… just… wow!"
"Thanks." Chandler smiled… "I agree by the way…"
She reached up and kissed his lips softly, then snuggled up to him again…
"So…" he asked timidly… "What happens now?"
"Well, we should probably get some sleep… seeing as how Ross is getting married tomorrow… and we're in the wedding party and all…"
"Right, but, beyond the wedding…"
"Well, there's the reception…" she quipped, dodging the subject…
"Monica, you know what I'm talking about."
"I don't honestly know Chandler." She admitted honestly… "Do we have to decide this now?"
He shook his head… "But I meant what I said, Monica. I want more than just tonight. But if tonight is all you're willing to give, then, I guess… I can learn to live with that."
"I'm willing to give you more…" she assured him… "But for now, I don't want to think beyond tonight… I just want… you." she kissed him, tickling his chest… "Is that ok?"
He smiled… "Yeah, that's ok."
*****~*****
--The feeling of Chandler's arms around her woke Monica from her sleep. It had been a long time since someone had held her lovingly as she slept… it was a great feeling. She watched him sleeping peacefully for a while, smiling at how sweet and content he looked.
"How could I not see it?" she asked herself in a whisper… "He was right in front of me all these years… why didn't I notice him?"
Chandler stirred slightly in his sleep… "Hmmm?" he asked groggily…
"Nothing…" She kissed his cheek… "Go back to sleep…"
"Mmmm…" he hummed softly… "But I don't want to sleep…" he told her… "I want to make love to you."
"We'll be tired tomorrow…"
"It's a price I'm willing to pay…"
She smiled and leaned in, kissing him, her hands caressing his body seductively. He went from sleepy to aroused and passionate within mere minutes, his fingers dancing across her skin… his tongue licking and tasting all of her. They made love for the second time that night… but it definitely wasn't their last time that night.
*****~*****
--Chandler and Monica were jarred awake by, who they thought was Joey, coming through the door…
"It's Joey again! Joey!" Chandler whispered urgently as Monica dove under the covers…
"I'm getting married today! Woohoo!" Ross announced excitedly upon opening the door to Chandler and Joey's hotel room…
"Morning Ross." Chandler replied, hiding his nervousness…
"I'm getting married… TO-DAY!"
"Yeah you are!"
"Woohoo!" Ross exclaimed, then backed out of the room, the door shutting a moment later.
Monica quickly came up from under the covers… "Do you think he knew I was here?"
"Am I bruised and bleeding?"
She looked at him curiously for a moment… "No."
"Then I think it's safe to say he didn't know you were here."
She sighed as she gathered the sheets around her… "Yeah… right…" she agreed softly…
After an awkward pause, Chandler broke the silence… "Well, I've never done that with you before!"
She smiled uneasily… "Nope."
"So, uh, how are you? Are you ok?" he stammered, trying not to sound as anxious as he felt…
"Yep. Yep. You?"
"Oh, yes! Yes. Uh-huh!" he replied emphatically… "You?"
She looked at him with an odd expression…
"We did you." He added…
She nodded… "Well… I better get going…"
"Yeah, ok, absolutely!" He watched her as she moved to leave the bed…
"Could you not look?" she asked, stopping short of leaving the covers…
He looked away nervously… "I don't wanna look."
She looked back at him, seeing the pained expression on his face even in profile…
"Did we make a colossal mistake?" she asked, standing, wrapping a sheet around her.
"I don't know." He answered softly, turning towards her… "Maybe."
"I don't regret last night…" she told him… "Last night was… fantastic!" She smiled when he smiled… "I'm just… I'm worried…"
He nodded… "Right…" He understood her concerns… he had them too.
"Right." She repeated… "Ok, well, I'm gonna go then."
"Yeah."
"I'll see ya later?"
"Yeah…" he waved half-heartedly… "See ya."
She grabbed her dress off the floor and headed for the door… "I was thinking…" she stated, turning back to look at him… "Wanna hook up again tonight? You know, after the wedding and everything?"
He smiled… "Absolutely."
"Great!" She walked back to him and kissed him tenderly… "See ya…"
"Yep."
Immediately upon Monica's departure, Chandler stood and did his little 'happy dance', then headed for the shower…
*****~*****
--Chandler stood in the warm shower as the water splashed down his body. He absently washed himself, not really paying much attention to what he was doing. His mind was too consumed with thoughts of Monica. He'd said he wanted more, but added that he would learn to live with the disappointment if she decided she only wanted the one night. He didn't know where they stood now… and the not knowing was harder than rejection… in a lot of ways.
--Monica's attention wasn't really on the task of washing herself… the water caressing her body a poor substitute for Chandler. She had never felt such passion from a lover. Not with Richard… definitely not with 'Fun' Bobby… Chandler had taken her to a place she'd never known before. And he'd said he wanted more than one night. What did that mean? Did he want a relationship? Did she?
--Joey was on his bed, deep in thought when Chandler came out of the bathroom after taking his shower…
"Dude!" Joey exclaimed… "Have you seen Monica?"
"Wha--? I'm not seeing Monica!" Chandler replied nervously…
Joey seemed confused by his answer, but then remembered why he'd asked the question in the first place… "Look, Phoebe called. She said Rachel is on her way here to tell Ross she loves him!"
"Oh my God!"
"I know! We gotta stop her! So, have you seen Monica?"
"I said no! What's with the third degree?! Why not just shine a light in my eyes!"
Joey looked at Chandler for a second, his irrational behavior making little sense, but he dismissed it in favor of more important matters…
*****~*****
--Everyone was at the church, the wedding ceremony soon to start, and no one had seen or heard from Rachel yet…
"Ok…" Joey told Monica… "I'm at the front door. You go guard that big hole at the back of the church and Chandler is up guarding Ross…"
"Why would I care where Chandler is?" she asked defensively… "You know, sometimes I don't even like Chandler!"
Joey just blinked a few times before responding… "Ok." He replied, not knowing what else to say to her outburst.
*****~*****
--The wedding was still on… Rachel decided against ruining Ross' wedding day… decided against telling him she loved him, and only congratulated him instead.
--As Chandler and Monica walked up the aisle, she as one of the bridesmaids, he as one of the best men, they could sense the awkward air between them. He wanted to tell her so many things. He wanted to tell her that last night was special, that it meant something to him, that he cared for her and wanted more than one night with her…
"What we did last night was--"
"Stupid." she interrupted, finishing his sentence…
So, there was his answer. She only wanted him for one night. Not wanting to look stupid for feeling more, he just simply agreed… "I mean totally, crazy… stupid." He replied, covering his feelings of disappointment…
"What were we thinking?" she asked, irritated with herself for not telling him what she was really thinking… that last night brought out feelings she didn't know she had. That she wanted more…
He couldn't give up that easily. He felt like stopping in the middle of their procession and kissing her. Telling her it wasn't stupid. Telling her how much he wanted her… "I'm comin' over tonight though, right?" he ventured, almost holding his breath as he waited for her answer…
"Oh yeah, definitely." She replied, fighting the smile that was threatening to burst across her face.
He too hid a smile as she joined the bridesmaids and he joined Joey and Ross.
*****~*****
--The wedding was a disaster… The priest asked Ross to repeat the vows: "I Ross, take thee Emily…" but Ross said 'Rachel' instead of 'Emily'. They continued on with the ceremony, but Emily made no effort to hide how angry and utterly humiliated she was by his mistake. At the reception, Emily locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out… only yelling 'I hate you!' as Ross tried to smooth everything over.
--Even with all that was going on, Chandler and Monica couldn't stop thinking about each other. When Chandler spotted Monica alone at the buffet table, he hesitantly approached…
"Hey."
Monica looked to him… "Hey."
"Oh, wow, y'know… don’t take this the wrong way, but… I know we had plans to meet up tonight… and, well, I'm just… kinda worried what it might do to our friendship."
"I know." Monica agreed, then sighed… "How could we let this happen?"
"Seven times!" he added…
"Look, you know…" she reasoned… "We were away…"
"In a foreign, romantic country."
"I blame London."
"Bad London." He scolded the country by hitting the turkey on the buffet table.
"So, look, umm… while we're still in London… I mean, we can keep doing it… right?"
"Well, I don’t see that we have a choice!" he exclaimed as he moved to the other side of her… "But when we're back home, we don’t do it."
"Only here."
"Y'know, I saw a wine cellar downstairs…" he told her, the implication clear…
"Meet you there in 2 minutes?"
"K!"
*****~*****
--"Where were you?" Monica asked, finding Chandler at the buffet table again… "We were supposed to meet in the wine cellar."
"Forget it. That's off."
"Why?"
Just then Emily's father staggered into the room, obviously drunk, babbling about tours of the wine cellar. Within a few moments, Joey approached, a t-bone steak in hand…
"Joey! What are you doing?" Monica asked him… "You promised Phoebe you wouldn’t eat meat until she has the babies!"
"Well, I figure we're in another country, so it doesn’t count."
"That’s true" Monica agreed, his comments mirroring her earlier statement about that very idea…
"The man's got a point!" Chandler added…
*****~*****
--After the reception, after discovering that Emily had escaped out the bathroom window, Chandler and Monica headed for her hotel room...
"In the middle of everything if I scream the word yippee, just ignore me." Chandler joked as they approached her door…
Monica opened the door to reveal Rachel on her bed… "Oh my God. Rachel!"
"Oh, hello Rachel." Chandler greeted her, a touch of irritation in his voice…
With not so much as a hello, Rachel started in about what had happened at the wedding… "Ross said my name up there. That has to mean he still loves me!"
Chandler and Monica just looked at her in disbelief…
"Fine. Don’t believe me." She snipped, then changed the subject… "Do you guys wanna go downstairs and get a drink?"
"Yes we do." Chandler told her… "But we have to change first."
Monica caught on… "Yes, I wanna change. Why don’t you go down and get us a table."
"We'll be down in like 5 minutes." He added…
"Fifteen minutes." Monica corrected…
Before Rachel could leave, the phone rang, and she answered it…
"Hey Phoebe!" Rachel plopped down on the bed and started to have what would undoubtedly be a long conversation as Monica and Chandler looked at each other, anxious and upset…
"Hey, so why don’t we go change in my room." Chandler suggested quietly…
"But my clothes are--" she stopped in mid sentence when she realized what he meant… "Oh…"
*****~*****
--They walked quickly into Chandler's room and he shut the door, then bolted it. He turned to look at her… she was so beautiful… "Wow. You look--"
"No time for that." She interrupted, working quickly at removing his suit…
Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sound of someone trying to enter… luckily, Chandler had remembered to bolt the door…
"Dude. Let me in." Joey ordered through the small crack the bolt allowed… "I got a girl out here."
"Well I've got a girl in here!" Chandler answered back…
"Yeah, right…" Joey chuckled… "C'mon! Let me in!"
"I'm serious Joe!"
"Dude, which one of us is going to be having sex in there? Me or you?"
"Well, I suppose I would have to say ME! Since I was here first!" Chandler informed… "The same girl I was with last night is in here with me!"
"What?!" Joey asked in a loud voice… "I just saw you go in there with Monica!" he exclaimed, causing Chandler and Monica to panic, looking to each other for what to do next… "You and Monica?! Oh my God!"
Chandler quickly opened the door, grabbing Joey's arm… "He'll be right back…" he told Felicity, Joey's date, then drug Joey in the room and shut the door…
"Please, Joey, you can't say anything!" Monica pleaded as Joey looked at them, his eyes nearly popping out of his head…
"When? How? Why?"
"Look, I was tipsy, ok?" Monica started… "I came to your guys' room and… one thing led to another…"
"She was in need of a friend…" Chandler added…
"So be a friend!" Joey snipped… "You didn't have to sleep with her!"
"Joey, don't be mad at Chandler…" she advised… "I initiated it…"
Joey looked at her, then at Chandler… "Seriously?"
They both nodded…
"So, are you guys an item now?"
"We don't know…" Monica replied… "And until we do know… please don't say anything to anyone…" she pleaded…
"I can't keep this to myself!"
"You have to!" Chandler urged…
Monica put her hands together, looking as if she were praying… "Please?"
Reluctantly, Joey agreed… but on the condition that he get the hotel room for the night… which left Chandler and Monica in need of a room with some privacy…
*****~*****
--Chandler and Monica came bounding through the doors of Emily and Ross' honeymoon suite…
"You really think this is ok?" Monica asked with indecision…
"Well, Ross and Emily aren't gonna use it!" Chandler assured her…
"Oh it's so beautiful!" she gasped as she looked around… "I don't know if I feel right about this."
"Oh, Mon-Mon-Mon-Monica… this is the honeymoon suite. The room expects sex. The room would be disappointed if it didn’t get sex. All the other honeymoon suites would think it was a loser." He babbled on, trying to convince her… it worked…
"Ok!" she agreed enthusiastically…
"Ok!" he repeated, pulling the sheets and blankets down…
They made quick work of removing their clothes, groping each other frantically. Their kisses were fervent but loving, desire building, need ruling their actions…
Suddenly, Chandler stopped…
"What?" Monica asked, confused…
"Shit!" he blurted out, then smiled awkwardly… "Sorry…" he apologized for his outburst… "I forgot the condoms…"
She smiled, then kissed him… "That's ok…" she told him… "We'll do… other stuff…" She raised her eyebrows suggestively and a smile washed across his face… then he pulled her to him and kissed her again…
--They were so caught up in each other, they didn't hear the front door open… but they became aware that someone was in the room when they heard the doorknob to the bedroom rattle and turn…
Monica dove under the covers, but Chandler wasn't fast enough…
"Chandler!" Ross barked… "What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"I… uh… ummm… I…" Chandler stammered… he had no answers…
Ross became aware that there was someone with Chandler… and that she was hiding under the blankets… "You and your slut get out of this bed NOW!"
"Do not call her that!" Chandler shouted back… "She is NOT a slut!"
"You don't know anyone here!" Ross stated loudly… "If she's jumping into bed with a virtual stranger, then she's a slut!"
It was then that Monica decided to come up from under the covers and confront her brother.
Ross just stared in shock, his expression changing from total disbelief to that of complete rage. He lunged towards Chandler, and a full fistfight ensued…
"Ross!" Monica yelled, wrapping a sheet around her as she tried desperately to break him and Chandler up… "Stop it!"
When her shouts went without heed, she ran to get Joey…
"Joey! Open up! Ross and Chandler are fighting!" she shouted at the door as she pounded on it. A moment later, Joey appeared with just his pants on… no shirt. They ran to the suite where Ross and Chandler were…
Joey grabbed Ross and Monica ran to Chandler…
"Oh my God, Chandler, are you ok?" she asked as she looked him over…
He glared at Ross as he wiped the blood from his face and touched his swollen lip tenderly… "Yeah… I think so…"
Ross was trying to break away from Joey, but Joey's hold was strong…
"You are DEAD Chandler!" Ross yelled… "Joey can't hold me forever!"
"Ross!" Monica snapped as Chandler grabbed his pants and pulled them on quickly… "You have this all wrong! Chandler did nothing wrong!"
"You're my sister!" Ross yelled back… as if that were a defense…
"So?! And cause I'm your sister I don't have urges?!"
"UGH! Monica! I don't want to hear--"
"I know you don't!" she interrupted… "That's the problem! You're so busy being a big brother that you don't stop to think! Did it ever occur to you that I'm a big girl now and can make my own decisions? Did you even for a second stop to think that this is something I wanted?! What, did you think he was in here raping me?!"
"I don't… I don't know…" Ross admitted calmly…
"For your information… ROSS, I initiated this! Chandler tried to be level headed but I threw myself at him!"
"Why?!" Ross asked, baffled…
"Yeah, thanks…" Chandler muttered, but Monica continued on…
"Cause he's smart and funny and loving and… and he was being a good friend to me! I was in need, and he fulfilled that need…"
"What?"
"I needed to feel loved. Desired. I needed to feel sexy, and wanted…"
Ross was now calm as Chandler dabbed at the blood on his face with a wet washcloth he had retrieved from the bathroom…
"I'm sorry…" Ross apologized… "It's been a bad day…"
"I can understand that…" Monica assured him… "But beating up on your friends isn't a way to cope with that!"
Ross looked to the floor sheepishly… "Dude…" he stated calmly… "I'm sorry…" he apologized, and Joey let go of him… "There's no excuse for what I did. I just… I saw Monica there and something inside me… just… snapped…"
"It's ok…" Chandler accepted his apology… "I can understand that. But, you gotta know, I would never disrespect Monica, or any of you guys! You guys are like family to me!"
"I know…" Ross admitted… "How can I make this up to you?"
"You can give us your blessing…"
Ross looked to Monica, and she smiled as she took Chandler's hand…
"Are you guys… 'together'?"
"We're gonna take it one day at a time…" Monica explained… "But knowing we have your blessing would mean a lot to us…"
"Then, you guys have my blessing…" Ross stated as he hugged Monica, then Chandler…
Chandler winced as Ross hugged him, and Ross pulled away… apologizing… "Sorry man…"
"Yeah… it's ok…" Chandler groaned… "You pack a mean right hook…" he added, chuckling slightly…
"Ok!" Joey interrupted… "All is well now, so I'm heading back to my bridesmaid!"
"Yeah, it's getting late. We should get going too. You know, we gotta get up early and catch that plane back to NY…" Monica said as she grabbed her clothes off the bed… "Coming Chandler?"
He smiled… "Yep! Although I don't know what good I'll be to you now…" he joked… "Since I've just had my ass kicked by 'Red Ross'!"
Monica chuckled, then kissed his lips carefully… "Then maybe I'll just… tend to you…" she added suggestively…
"Ok, ok, guys, I gave you my blessing…" Ross complained… "You want me to give you yesterday's lunch as well?"
"Right! Going now!" Chandler said, grabbing his clothes and falling in behind Monica… "Good luck with Emily!"
"Yeah!" Monica added… "I hope you find her!"
Ross nodded as he plopped down on the bed… "Thanks."
*****~*****
--"So…" Monica said as she closed her hotel room door and bolted the safety bolt… "We're finally alone…"
"That we are." Chandler smiled, closing the gap between him and her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in to kiss her, but then winced and pulled back…
He scowled as he touched his lip… "Ouch!"
Monica gave him a sympathetic look and touched his face carefully… "I can't believe he did that to you…"
"Well, he was stressed to start with…" Chandler reasoned… "And he loves you…"
"I know…" she agreed, then lightly kissed his lip… "He's always been protective of me…" she added as she kissed his bruising cheek… "How can I possibly make it up to you?" she asked, her tone seductive…
He caught on immediately… "Hmmm… I don't know…" he smiled back at her… "What did you have in mind?"
She smiled as she stared in his eyes, slowly removing his dress shirt, gently pushing it down his arms till it fell to the floor. She broke their gaze when she slowly moved to him, kissing his chest… his arms… his neck.
"Mmmm… so far I like…"
She undid his pants and slid them down his legs, kissing his thighs as she traveled… "Step out of your pants…" she ordered him as she knelt in front of him.
He looked down at her, a smile crossing his face as he realized what was to come. He kicked his pants aside and watched as she kissed and licked his legs and hips, his breathing ragged as he anticipated her mouth around him.
She took him into her mouth and he strained to keep balance… "You have no idea how good that feels…" he moaned softly…
It felt fantastic. He knew he was close to orgasm, and wondered if he should tell her… but it felt so good… he didn't want her to stop.
"MmmmMonica…" he moaned… "I'm close…" he warned her… but she didn't stop.
When she sensed he was at the brink, she pulled back and stroked him till he erupted…
"Oooohhh… Gaaawwwd…" he sighed loudly, becoming weak. He stumbled back and sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes closed tight as he recovered. Monica sat next to him on the bed and rubbed his back, smiling as his breathing returned to normal…
"Make up for the tiff with Ross?" she asked when he finally opened his eyes…
"Oh yeah! And then some!" he assured her… "Now it's your turn…" He ran his hand up her thigh, past her hip, sliding slowly to her breast…
"But I thought you were in pain?"
"I'm not feeling pain so much as something else…" He dipped his hand inside her low-cut dress… gently rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, inciting a low moan from Monica…
She stood and dropped the dress from her shoulders to the floor… Chandler's reaction was immediate. He reached for her, bringing her into his lap, kissing her passionately… but then winced from the pain their lips pressed together caused his bruised and swollen lip…
Monica suppressed a chuckle and smiled… "Sorry…"
Holding her tight to him, he ran his hands up her back, one coming to rest on her shoulder while the other found it's way into her soft hair… "I don't know what hurts more… kissing you with a fat lip or not being able to kiss you because of a fat lip."
"Well, let's do something that doesn't hurt…" Monica suggested, pulling back and grabbing her dress off the floor…
"Such as?"
"Let's take a walk! It's our last night here… let's wander around a little!"
Chandler groaned, not at all interested in that idea, but Monica was, so he agreed.
*****~*****
--They didn't wander far from the hotel, just strolled about nearby, enjoying each other's company. Their time in London was quickly coming to an end, and Chandler couldn't help but wonder what lied ahead for them. He didn't dare ask… he was afraid of ruining their final hours together.
--When they got back to the hotel, she invited him to her room again…
"By the way… where's Rachel?" he asked as they entered the room…
"She got her own room…" Monica informed, smiling…
He smiled back, then closed the gap between them, holding her as his hands roamed over her back…
"Make love to me Chandler…" she whispered as she kissed his neck…
He needed no further invitation. He slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders and guided it down her body to the floor. His hands quickly found her breasts, stroking the nipples… watching her reaction was arousing. Being careful of his sore lip, he took one of the nipples into his mouth and encircled it with his tongue, nipping it gently. Her moans were intoxicating. He led her to the bed, lying beside her, running his hands across her flat stomach to her hips, then on to her thighs, inciting more moans of pleasure from her, feeding his appetite for her. He ran his hand up between her leg and she willingly parted them for him, allowing him access…
"You are so wet…" he whispered as he stroked her… she could only moan in response.
He played with her, fondled her, teased her… till she was desperate for him…
"I need you inside me Chandler…" she gasped, her eyes pleading.
He smiled as he positioned himself, rolling on a condom before entering her. She moaned loudly and arched her back into his gentle thrust, aching for him to fill her deeply. He kept his pace slow, wanting it to last as long as possible… knowing it may be the last time she was in his arms, in this most intimate of acts. When he felt her shudder, a low moan quickly following, he knew she'd reached her reward… he reached his a moment later.
*****~*****
--They remained wrapped in each other's arms, both enjoying the warmth and comfort the other brought… both afraid to break the silence. Finally, it was Chandler who decided the subject needed to be broached…
"We have to leave for New York in an hour."
"I know…" Monica acknowledged…
"Where…" he hesitated… "Where do we stand?"
"I don't know…" she admitted honestly… "Where do you see this going? If anywhere…"
"I'm not sure. I know I can't just go home and pretend this never happened."
She nodded…
"I mean, I've never had this kind of… connection… before…"
"Neither have I…"
He could sense there was more to her comment that she didn't say… "But…?"
"But…" she thought before speaking… "I know our friends…" she started… "And I don't want to have our every move under scrutiny."
"Yeah…"
"I mean, look at Ross and Rachel! The ups and downs of their relationship was a strain on all of us!"
"I remember."
"I just… I don't think it would work… y'know? I mean, relationships are hard enough. For me especially…"
"And for me…" he added…
"It would be just that much harder…"
"You're probably right…"
"So…" she stated softly… "We should probably just…" she trailed off…
"Yeah."
"Ok." She smiled and cupped his face in her hand… "I'm sorry."
"No, it's ok. Really. I'll survive…" he smiled back, trying to be reassuring, but his true feelings could be seen…
She kissed his lips tenderly, then snuggled up to him… "A few more minutes… then we'll get dressed…"
*****~*****
--The flight back was long and agonizing. Chandler and Monica sat next to one another… both tense… both wanting to say so much… both afraid to… until…
"I wish we'd had one more night…" Monica whispered…
"Same here…" Chandler smiled… "Y'know…" he offered… "Technically we still are over international waters."
Monica smiled at what he was implying… "I’m gonna go to the bathroom, maybe I’ll see you there in a bit?"
"K!"
Monica left first, but before Chandler could follow, Joey sat down with him.
--Joey babbled on for near about 30 minutes about his acting career, worried that he would never 'make it' as an actor… and all Chandler could think about was Monica. How she was waiting for him. How she'd be mad that he made her wait. But then, she showed up…
"Hey, Monica. Wow you’ve been in the bathroom for like a half-hour." Joey stated as Chandler begged forgiveness with his eyes…
"I know!" she said through gritted teeth…
Joey nodded sympathetically… "Had the beef-tips, huh?"
*****~*****
--Joey, Chandler, and Monica arrived at her apartment, Phoebe standing in the kitchen eating cereal from a bowl that was precariously perched on her very pregnant belly. Hugs went all around as Phoebe welcomed them home… then she gasped in shock…
"You ate meat!" she exclaimed, pointing at Joey… "You had sex!" she added, pointing at Chandler and Monica…
"No we didn't!" Chandler replied defensively, looking to Joey as if to say 'don't say a word'…
"I know you didn't…" Phoebe scoffed… "I was talking to Monica!"
Monica looked to Chandler before replying… "Phoebe, I did not have sex."
"This pregnancy is throwing me all off!" she complained, shaking her head in frustration…
"Well…" Joey changed the subject… "I'm gonna go say hi to the chick and the duck…"
"Oh! Me too!" Phoebe announced excitedly…
"Why would you need to say hi to them?" Joey asked… "You've been feeding them for 4 days."
A concerned look came over Phoebe's face and she quickly grabbed her purse… "Oh, right. Maybe I'll just go home…" she rushed out the door and Joey gasped as he realized it was very possible the birds hadn't been fed in the last 4 days. He sprinted over to his apartment, shutting Monica's door as he went… leaving Chandler and Monica alone…
"Well…" Monica said nervously… "We're all alone…"
Chandler was just as nervous… "Yes! Good thing we have that, ‘Not in New York’ rule."
"Right. Umm… listen, since we're… we're on that subject… umm… I just wanted to tell you that uh… well, I- I… I just-- our time together meant a lot to me. I guess I’m just trying to say thanks."
"Y’know, it meant a lot to me too, and it wasn’t because I was in a bad place or anything, it just meant a lot to me cause… you’re really hot! Is that okay?
Monica smiled, chuckling… "That’s okay."
"And I’m cute too."
"And you’re cute too."
"Thank you!" He hugged her, then they high-fived, the sign of a platonic friendship… "All right, I gotta go unpack." He headed for the door then turned back and smiled once he opened it… "Bye…" he said quietly, shutting the door behind him…
Monica stared at the door for a moment, then walked towards it… then she froze. What was she doing? Going after Chandler? It would be disastrous.
Just then Chandler walked through the door… "I'm still on London time. Does that count?"
"That counts!" They closed the gap…
"Oh good!" he embraced her, kissing her passionately…
She quickly worked the buttons on his shirt, throwing it to the floor a moment later as he removed her dress. The dress joined his shirt, then he grabbed her hand and headed for her bedroom.
"This isn't stupid?" she asked him, looking for reassurance…
"No! It's not stupid! It's…" he paused, thinking… "It's… so… not stupid!"
She looked at him for a moment, then smiled… "Ok!"
"Ok!" he agreed quickly, kissing her again. His lips still hurt slightly, but he didn't care, and his hands roamed over her body hungrily as they removed the remainder of their clothing. They jumped into bed and under the covers, making love with passion and urgency.
*****~*****
--Chandler was still panting from their act of passion when he inquired…
"Now what happens?"
"Ugh!" Monica sighed… "I just don't know. I know I don't want to stop seeing you… like this…"
Chandler let out his breath sharply, relieved… "Neither do I…"
"But I also know I don't want to be under everyone's constant scrutiny."
"Right."
"God, y'know… I suck bad enough at relationships! I shouldn't have to turn my back on a possible one like this!"
"Then, let's don't. Let's not turn our backs on this! Let's just…" he paused to think… "I don't know… why don't we… just… keep it a secret?"
"A secret?"
"Yeah! We won't tell anyone we're seeing each other!"
"Well, everyone pretty much knows we hooked up in London…"
"Yeah, BUT! We could tell everyone that it was just a 'London thing'! That we won't be pursuing it!" he suggested excitedly…
She smiled as the idea sunk in… "You think that'll work?"
"Sure! Why not?"
"Well…" she hesitated before agreeing… "I guess we could try it and see…"
He smiled, then kissed her… "Oh, God…" he sighed… "This is great!"
He kissed her again, drunk on the feeling of starting a new relationship with his best friend… now lover.
THE END
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