June Fanfiction Challenge: Day 8 - Friends
Title: Name Your Poison
Fandom: Friends
Pairing: Monica/Chandler
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: G
Inspiration: June 8th is Name Your Poison Day.
Warnings: Spoilers for the season 6 finale
Word Count: 557
Monica felt like she had been walking for hours, though she knew it couldn’t really be more than thirty minutes since she’d left Richard’s apartment. Somehow she’d made it home without even noticing. She hoped Chandler wasn’t going to ask where she’d been because there was bad stuff and then there was nothing.
She unlocked the door with a sigh and stepped inside. The lights were on, but no was there. She smiled unhappily thinking of her lunch with Chandler and how he’d sworn he’d never get married. The lights were on, but... Why did it have to be so hard?
After a full minute of standing staring at the kitchen table she propelled herself towards the bedroom and grabbed a holdall. Maybe she could stay with her parents for a couple of days and think things through.
“Monica?”
“Oh no,” she sighed and closed her eyes. “Go away, go away, go away,” she whispered over and over.
Joey appeared in the bedroom doorway and raised his eyebrows at her. “What’s all this?’
She’d been angry earlier. Angry at Chandler. Angry at Richard. Angry at herself for caring about either of them when neither of them cared about what she wanted. Not even right now, just some day. But the fight seemed to have deserted her.
“I have to go, Joey,” she said quietly and far too calmly. “I need some time to think.”
He nodded once and then sat opposite her on the bed, taking out the clothes she’d started to pack.
“You know, it never crossed my mind to think about you and Chandler being you and Chandler before it happened,” he said. “But now, it’s like, you’ve always been together. You were always meant to be together. Don’t you think?”
Monica shrugged. “Joey, it doesnt matter what I think. Chandler...”
“He bought ring,” Joey told her, making her head come up to stare at him.
“He what?”
Joey nodded. “He wanted to surprise you. He was going to do it a couple of nights ago when you went out to dinner, but then...”
“But then Richard showed up.” Monica sank down onto the bed next to him. “I ruined it.”
“Well, Richard ruined it,” Joey said and then smiled. “Do you love him?”
Monica frowned. “Richard?”
“No! Chandler.”
“Of course I love Chandler,” Monica said. “Why did he have to tell me he didn’t want to get married?”
“Well it wouldn’t have been a very good surprise if he’d suddenly told you he’d changed his mind about something he’s hated since he was nine,” Joey argued. “He loves you, Mon.”
She nodded, knowing that yes Chandler loved her and yes, she loved him. Stupidly, madly, forsaking all others. She started to smile. All others.
“Okay,” she said, jumping to her feet and clapping her hands. “You have to help me surprise Chandler.”
“Surprise him how?”
Monica quickly placed all her clothes back in her dresser and then pulled Joey out into the living room. “You need to lie to him. You need to give the performance of your life,” she said as she started to set up candles all around the room. “You think you can handle it?”
For a second, Joey looked a tiny bit terrified. Then he straightened his shoulders and nodded.
“For you two? I can handle anything.”
Fandom: Friends
Pairing: Monica/Chandler
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: G
Inspiration: June 8th is Name Your Poison Day.
Warnings: Spoilers for the season 6 finale
Word Count: 557
Monica felt like she had been walking for hours, though she knew it couldn’t really be more than thirty minutes since she’d left Richard’s apartment. Somehow she’d made it home without even noticing. She hoped Chandler wasn’t going to ask where she’d been because there was bad stuff and then there was nothing.
She unlocked the door with a sigh and stepped inside. The lights were on, but no was there. She smiled unhappily thinking of her lunch with Chandler and how he’d sworn he’d never get married. The lights were on, but... Why did it have to be so hard?
After a full minute of standing staring at the kitchen table she propelled herself towards the bedroom and grabbed a holdall. Maybe she could stay with her parents for a couple of days and think things through.
“Monica?”
“Oh no,” she sighed and closed her eyes. “Go away, go away, go away,” she whispered over and over.
Joey appeared in the bedroom doorway and raised his eyebrows at her. “What’s all this?’
She’d been angry earlier. Angry at Chandler. Angry at Richard. Angry at herself for caring about either of them when neither of them cared about what she wanted. Not even right now, just some day. But the fight seemed to have deserted her.
“I have to go, Joey,” she said quietly and far too calmly. “I need some time to think.”
He nodded once and then sat opposite her on the bed, taking out the clothes she’d started to pack.
“You know, it never crossed my mind to think about you and Chandler being you and Chandler before it happened,” he said. “But now, it’s like, you’ve always been together. You were always meant to be together. Don’t you think?”
Monica shrugged. “Joey, it doesnt matter what I think. Chandler...”
“He bought ring,” Joey told her, making her head come up to stare at him.
“He what?”
Joey nodded. “He wanted to surprise you. He was going to do it a couple of nights ago when you went out to dinner, but then...”
“But then Richard showed up.” Monica sank down onto the bed next to him. “I ruined it.”
“Well, Richard ruined it,” Joey said and then smiled. “Do you love him?”
Monica frowned. “Richard?”
“No! Chandler.”
“Of course I love Chandler,” Monica said. “Why did he have to tell me he didn’t want to get married?”
“Well it wouldn’t have been a very good surprise if he’d suddenly told you he’d changed his mind about something he’s hated since he was nine,” Joey argued. “He loves you, Mon.”
She nodded, knowing that yes Chandler loved her and yes, she loved him. Stupidly, madly, forsaking all others. She started to smile. All others.
“Okay,” she said, jumping to her feet and clapping her hands. “You have to help me surprise Chandler.”
“Surprise him how?”
Monica quickly placed all her clothes back in her dresser and then pulled Joey out into the living room. “You need to lie to him. You need to give the performance of your life,” she said as she started to set up candles all around the room. “You think you can handle it?”
For a second, Joey looked a tiny bit terrified. Then he straightened his shoulders and nodded.
“For you two? I can handle anything.”