The One With The 1^st Christmas

By: Jana~

Chapter Two

*****~*****

**December 24^th 1988**

--It felt odd to Monica, being in the dark house all alone, but it was better than the alternative. Every year her folks drug her and Ross to the Johnson's Christmas Eve party, but this year, Ross was at Carol's… and she didn't want to be the only person there under the age of 30, so, she planned ahead.

Two days prior, she complained of a sore throat. The day before, she complained of a sinus headache and queasy stomach. It was easy to convince her parents that she wasn't feeling good and to let her stay home.

She curled up in the chair by the fire and sipped hot cider, listening absently to the holiday music on the radio. The last thing she expected was to hear a knock at the door.

When she opened the door to reveal Chandler, her eyes grew wide with surprise…

"Chandler?"

"Hi Monica… Ross here?"

"Uh, no, actually, he's at Carol's."

He looked down… "Oh. Right. I knew that…" he shook his head… "Ok. Catch'ya later." He shivered as he took his bare, ungloved hand out of his pocket and waved good-bye, then snuck it back in as he turned to leave…

"Wait…" she called out, stopping him… "Um, if you want-- would you like to come in and at least get warm before you head home? I have hot cider."

He smiled… "Really? That sounds great. Thanks."

She smiled, then moved aside to allow him entry.

He took off his coat, hanging it on the hook by the door, then followed her into the livingroom…

"Make yourself comfortable and I'll go get you some cider."

"Thanks."

He watched as she walked away, then took a seat by the fireplace, shuddering as the deep cold left his body.

"Here'ya go…" she announced as she entered from the kitchen… "This oughta warm you up."

"Thanks." Appreciatively, he smiled as he took the mug, sipping the cider carefully so as not to burn his tongue.

"So, why are you not with family?" she asked as she joined him…

"Well, mom is off on a book tour or something. Spending the holidays with my dad is just… unsettling."

"How so?"

"He's a gay cross-dresser. His parties are… well, let's just say, they're not my thing."

"Wow. Sorry."

"Yeah, thanks. So, where're your folks?"

"A party."

"You weren't invited?"

"I was…" she smirked… "I played sick."

"Ah…" he chuckled… "Boring party?"

"Incredibly."

"So, what'cha up to here, all alone?"

"Just… ya'know… alone time."

There was a few moments silence, neither sure of what to say next. Finally, Monica broke the hush…

"How's your toe healing?"

With a slight smile, he winced… "Good. All healed… not sore anymore, but it feels weird to have it missing."

She nodded… "I'm really sorry about that. It really was an accident."

"I know. You were… well, acting weird."

A blush creeped across her cheeks… "Yeah, sorry about that too."

"It's ok…" he chuckled… "What was up with that?"

She dodged the question… "I don't think I should say."

"Why?"

"It's embarrassing." she replied timidly…

"Embarrassing? How so?"

Her heart felt like it would leap out of her chest. She shouldn't tell him… but, she found her mouth answering without her brain's approval… "I was flirting."

He fought to keep from laughing… "What?"

She hated herself at that moment. He thought she was silly… he had to, and stupid most likely. She closed her eyes and clinched her teeth… "I was trying to flirt with you."

"That was flirting?"

"Well, excuse me! I'd never done that before!" she snipped, her extreme embarrassment causing her to become angry…

"You've never flirted before?"

"No. Guys don't like fat girls. I never bothered flirting when I was fat cause I knew it wouldn't do any good anyway."

His smile faded from her sobering comment… "Sorry. Didn't mean to make fun of you."

"Ok." she muttered, avoiding eye contact.

The awkward moment lingered for several minutes as they both nervously sipped their cider…

"I was flirting with you too." he finally stated softly…

That comment took her by surprise… "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I… like you."

"You do?" she asked, he nodded. "Why?"

"You're sweet… and beautiful. Ross always speaks highly of you. I feel like I know you cause of him."

"Ross speaks highly of me?"

"Yeah. Of course. Does that surprise you?"

She shrugged… "Maybe a little."

"He really loves you."

"Good to know."

He paused before changing the subject… "This cider is great."

"Thanks."

"You're good at that stuff… cooking I mean."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She felt a nervousness well up in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she had a feeling it had something to do with the fact that she felt the urge to kiss him… and touch him. The light from the fireplace made his eyes look like a sunset, his five o'clock shadow, Miami Vice look attractively unkempt.

Did he sense her attraction, or was he acting on his own accord? She didn't know, but before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers in a gentle kiss.

She couldn't help but respond, her body on fire with a need she didn't quite understand. She ran her hand through his hair as their tongues danced together, the taste of apples mingling between them.

His hand slowly moved up her side, under the cozy knit sweater she was wearing, only to find she wasn't wearing a bra. When his bare hand touched her bare skin, she gasped into his mouth. Together they began to recline on the couch, their mouths still actively engaged, but the moment was shattered as a crashing sound caught their attention…

"What was that?" Monica asked as she broke away from their heated kiss…

"I'm not sure…" he replied, breathless.

They both sat up and looked around them, the explanation of the noise clear as they spotted a small porcelain figurine broken on the ground.

Monica leapt from the couch… "Oh no!"

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I think I accidentally kicked it off the coffee table. I am so, so sorry."

She picked up the pieces and laid them carefully on the table where it had been standing just moments ago… "It's broken. I can't believe it. I can't replace it! It's very old. It belonged to my great grandmother!"

"Oh, God. Oh no…" he uttered in remorse… "I'll help you glue it back together."

"No. It won't work. The pieces are too tiny… shards really…"

She began to cry, and he fidgeted, unsure of how to respond to her tears… "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head… "No. But…" she hesitated… "Maybe you'd better go."

His expression flashed sadness, and she responded quickly in response…

"It's just, my parents should be home soon. And, well, we were kinda… going a bit far… affectionately."

He nodded… "I'm sorry for that too."

"It's ok. You weren't alone there on the couch. It's just, well, I kinda wanted my first time to be… special."

"You're--? You're a--?"

"Virgin. Yes."

"Oh, God. I'm sorry…"

She scowled… "That I'm a virgin?"

"No, that I went that far with you. I shouldn't have done that to you. To my best friend's sister. To someone who wasn't ready…"

"It's ok." She stood and walked towards the door… "I hope the cider warmed you up some."

"Yeah, among other things…" he quipped.

She smiled awkwardly as he put his coat on…

"Guess I'll see'ya later?"

She nodded, avoiding his sad blue eyes.

Forcing a smile, he gave her a peck on the cheek and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

She stared at the door for quite a while before finally walking back into the livingroom to gather the pieces of her cherished figurine.

*****~*****

**Back to present**

--Monica removed the gift gently from the box, a tear trickling down her cheek…

"It's-- It's the… figurine. My great grandma's figurine. How did you do this?"

"About two years ago I was at this little antique shop and I saw it on the shelf. I knew it looked familiar, but wasn't sure why. A week later I realized where I had seen it before. I bought it and kept it wrapped in the box, safe and sound, in case I ever saw you again. I was going to give it to you when I first moved in, but decided to wait till Christmas."

"I don't know what to say…"

"Say you forgive me for what a jerk I was that day."

"You weren't a jerk. It was an accident."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't been groping you, it never would've happened."

"If you didn't notice, I was groping you too."

"Yeah. I noticed. Still, I had no right. You're Ross' sister… and a virgin at the time…"

"Right."

"If I had known… ya'know, that you were a virgin, I never would've done that."

"I wanted you to."

He smiled… "I wanted to too."

"I kinda wondered if you even remembered that night. Since you moved in, you've never mentioned it."

"I was kinda waiting for you to mention it, but when you didn't, I thought it might be best if I didn't bring it up."

"So, now that it's mentioned, you feel like… talking?"

"About… that night?"

She nodded.

"I guess…"

She gestured towards the couch… "Sit. I'll get us some wassail."

"I still love your cider."

"Thanks." She smiled to herself as she poured them each a mug of the spiced holiday drink, then handed his to him before joining him on the couch.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well…" she started… "It all ended so abruptly… I guess I was just wondering what you thought of it all."

He shrugged… "I'm a guy. Guys don't think much about that stuff…"

"Or at all…" she quipped… "C'mon, just tell me what you can remember."

"I remember… being nervous. Wanting to kiss you, but unsure if I should. When you kissed me back, I just became so incredibly aroused… I wasn't really thinking at all. I… I remember how much I really wanted to be with you."

"I would've gone all the way with you that night."

"Really? I kinda got the impression that you thought it was too far too fast."

"It was. But I still would've made love to you that night."

He was taken aback by that comment… "You wanted me to be your 'first'?"

"At that moment, yes."

He nodded… "What about at any other moment."

"When I first met you…"

"When you were…" he trailed off…

"Fat?" she finished his thought… "Yes. When I was fat I had a huge crush on you."

"Why? I wasn't very nice to you."

"I know."

"How can you even stand me? After how I've treated you… after breaking your ceramic figure and almost taking your virginity… how come you don't just completely hate my guts?"

"I guess cause I see more. More than what's on the surface. Plus, you've matured a lot since '87 and '88. I consider you a good friend now."

"I care about you too. A lot." he confessed…

"Last week… at the mall…" she hesitated as she gathered her courage…

"Yeah?"

"At the mall, there was a… moment… between us."

"When I said you knew me better than most."

"Yeah."

"Yeah." he repeated…

"Was that--? What was that?"

"Nothing if you don't want it to be something."

"And if I do?" she asked…

"Do you?"

"Do you?"

He smiled, then leaned into her slowly. When their lips touched, it was like instant electricity, need developing quickly as the kiss became passionate.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." she uttered breathlessly when the kiss finally ended…

"No, no…" he half scolded… "I'm the jokester, not you. I tell the jokes."

She smirked at his playfulness… "Ok, so, tell a joke."

His smile changed from comical to seductive… "Not feeling especially funny at the moment."

"Oh yeah? What are you feeling?"

"The answer might get me slapped."

"I give you immunity then."

He chuckled… "Alright then… I feel… horny."

"I see…" she cooed… "And what do you suppose you should do about that?"

"I have a few ideas."

"Do any of them include me?"

"All of them do."

"Then, maybe we should take this into my bedroom?"

"I would love to."

Before reaching Monica's bedroom door, she stopped and faced him… "Thank you so much for the gift."

"You're very welcome."

"Wish I'd gotten you something nicer than a watch."

He smiled… "That's ok, it's the thought that counts. Besides, I think I'm about to get the best Christmas gift of all."

"Sex?"

He shook his head… "You."

She smiled as she leaned into him… "Merry Christmas." she whispered before kissing him…

"Happy Hanukkah." he whispered back as they broke the kiss.

Their eyes locked as they walked into the bedroom, the start of something incredible beginning on that special night. Something they would later tell their children, and grandchildren… the little figurine always prominently displayed for all to enjoy… from that Christmas on… forever.

THE END

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