Happy fandom swap, kaci_2005_tide!
Happy fandom swap, kaci_2005_tide!
Title: In the Middle of the Night
Author: luthien82
Fandom: Friends
Summary: In the middle of the night, Chandler thinks about what he has and what might happen.
Pairing: Chandler/Monica
Rating: PG
Warning: fluff
Note: This was a first for me in so many ways! I hope you like it! Thanks to L. for the quick beta!
***
He woke up without any preamble and stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. It was dark, probably two in the morning, perhaps even earlier. He had the feeling that it wasn't that long ago that he had fallen asleep.
It was the third time that week that he had woken up in the middle of the night. He never knew why, and to be frank, he had never searched for a solution. Okay, so he actually did know why he woke up, and if it had been because of a nightmare, it might have been a different matter altogether - he might've searched for something to solve his insomnia - but as it was, he knew the reason why he woke up constantly.
He was happy.
It frightened him sometimes how happy he was. It was such an uncommon feeling for him, and the thought that he could lose the reason for his happiness again scared him immensely.
He turned and came face to face with that reason. A soft smile appeared on his face while he watched the woman by his side sleep. She was so beautiful, and she was his wife.
Chandler never understood completely why Monica Gellar, this wonderful, charming, and slightly neurotic woman had ever fallen for him, the notoriously sarcastic man with the relationship problems. He was astounded anew every day by the fact that she had managed what nobody had ever managed: to overcome his fear that he’d end like his parents and abhor everything that had to do with marriage and long-term relationships.
His wife.
He still couldn't believe it, but it was true. She was his wife, his other half. Never in his life had he felt for anyone like he felt for Monica. She made him feel whole in a way that no one else would ever be able to. He had always thought that he wouldn’t be able to love the way other people did. After seeing what had happened to his parents, it wasn't much of a wonder to anyone that he had declared himself unsuitable for relationships. But now here he was, married, happy about it, and feeling like it could actually last.
Slowly, he reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. She sighed and moved a bit closer to him. Out of instinct, Chandler drew her closer and embraced her softly. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, finding his own peace in her alluring scent. He closed his eyes for a sweet second before starting to caress her back with slow, lazy strokes.
"Is something on your mind?"
The quiet, sleepy question somewhere from down by his chest startled him a bit, but he continued his ministrations, and he smiled again. She even knew how he felt when she was asleep.
"Just thinking about us," he whispered back and kissed her hair. He could actually feel her smile even before she raised her head and looked up into his face.
"Something positive?"
"Definitely," he replied promptly. Monica looked at him for a few moments and finally reached out to touch his face. Her posture emitted concern when she asked, "Then why aren't you sleeping? Or doing naughty things with me?" she added with a slight smile.
Chandler laughed, rolled on top of her and grinned, "Oh, you want to do naughty things? I think I can manage that." He leaned down and started to kiss her. For a moment, Monica responded enthusiastically before she pushed at Chandler's shoulder.
"I was serious! Don't distract me. What's the matter, darling?" she mumbled.
Her concern was painfully evident. Chandler sighed and buried his face at her neck. For a while, he didn't say anything; he didn't even move. When Monica started to ask herself if he had finally found his peace and slept, he replied quietly, "I'm just so happy to be with you, and I'm scared shitless. I'm scared that I could lose you and our happiness any minute now."
"Oh, Chandler!" In an instant, Monica embraced him and squeezed him tightly. Chandler responded by squeezing her just as tightly to him. They lay there for a long time, seeking strength in each other's arms until Monica urged her husband to look up. Chandler did so reluctantly and they looked into each other's eyes. Monica smiled up to him and stroked his hair.
"I can't promise you that I'll be here for a long time, we do live in New York, after all, so anything could happen as soon as I leave our apartment." She paused. "Actually, everything can happen in here, too. We have Joey as a neighbor, after all."
Chandler laughed a bit at her words and the smile on her face got deeper. "The thing is, our happiness can end any day. That's how life works, Chandler. It's sad, but it's true. But I can promise you one thing: for as long as I live, I'll never leave you out of my own free will." Her face lost every humor and her gaze became serious. "Never forget that, Chandler. You hear me?"
He looked down at her for a long time; the only thing he did was to stroke her hair. Finally, he leaned down and gave her a soft, feather-light kiss on the lips. "I love you, Monica."
"I love you, too." She raised her head and drew him closer for a more passionate kiss. When they parted, they both smiled again. "Let's go to sleep," Monica suggested and pulled Chandler's head down so he could rest on her shoulder. His body still covered hers and she knew that at least two of her limbs would be asleep when she woke up, but she didn't care. As long as she could feel Chandlers’ weight, his warmth, and his breath ghosting over her skin, she knew that her world was right, that the one thing that meant everything to her at the moment was with her.
And with that in mind, they both fell asleep.
Title: In the Middle of the Night
Author: luthien82
Fandom: Friends
Summary: In the middle of the night, Chandler thinks about what he has and what might happen.
Pairing: Chandler/Monica
Rating: PG
Warning: fluff
Note: This was a first for me in so many ways! I hope you like it! Thanks to L. for the quick beta!
***
He woke up without any preamble and stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. It was dark, probably two in the morning, perhaps even earlier. He had the feeling that it wasn't that long ago that he had fallen asleep.
It was the third time that week that he had woken up in the middle of the night. He never knew why, and to be frank, he had never searched for a solution. Okay, so he actually did know why he woke up, and if it had been because of a nightmare, it might have been a different matter altogether - he might've searched for something to solve his insomnia - but as it was, he knew the reason why he woke up constantly.
He was happy.
It frightened him sometimes how happy he was. It was such an uncommon feeling for him, and the thought that he could lose the reason for his happiness again scared him immensely.
He turned and came face to face with that reason. A soft smile appeared on his face while he watched the woman by his side sleep. She was so beautiful, and she was his wife.
Chandler never understood completely why Monica Gellar, this wonderful, charming, and slightly neurotic woman had ever fallen for him, the notoriously sarcastic man with the relationship problems. He was astounded anew every day by the fact that she had managed what nobody had ever managed: to overcome his fear that he’d end like his parents and abhor everything that had to do with marriage and long-term relationships.
His wife.
He still couldn't believe it, but it was true. She was his wife, his other half. Never in his life had he felt for anyone like he felt for Monica. She made him feel whole in a way that no one else would ever be able to. He had always thought that he wouldn’t be able to love the way other people did. After seeing what had happened to his parents, it wasn't much of a wonder to anyone that he had declared himself unsuitable for relationships. But now here he was, married, happy about it, and feeling like it could actually last.
Slowly, he reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. She sighed and moved a bit closer to him. Out of instinct, Chandler drew her closer and embraced her softly. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, finding his own peace in her alluring scent. He closed his eyes for a sweet second before starting to caress her back with slow, lazy strokes.
"Is something on your mind?"
The quiet, sleepy question somewhere from down by his chest startled him a bit, but he continued his ministrations, and he smiled again. She even knew how he felt when she was asleep.
"Just thinking about us," he whispered back and kissed her hair. He could actually feel her smile even before she raised her head and looked up into his face.
"Something positive?"
"Definitely," he replied promptly. Monica looked at him for a few moments and finally reached out to touch his face. Her posture emitted concern when she asked, "Then why aren't you sleeping? Or doing naughty things with me?" she added with a slight smile.
Chandler laughed, rolled on top of her and grinned, "Oh, you want to do naughty things? I think I can manage that." He leaned down and started to kiss her. For a moment, Monica responded enthusiastically before she pushed at Chandler's shoulder.
"I was serious! Don't distract me. What's the matter, darling?" she mumbled.
Her concern was painfully evident. Chandler sighed and buried his face at her neck. For a while, he didn't say anything; he didn't even move. When Monica started to ask herself if he had finally found his peace and slept, he replied quietly, "I'm just so happy to be with you, and I'm scared shitless. I'm scared that I could lose you and our happiness any minute now."
"Oh, Chandler!" In an instant, Monica embraced him and squeezed him tightly. Chandler responded by squeezing her just as tightly to him. They lay there for a long time, seeking strength in each other's arms until Monica urged her husband to look up. Chandler did so reluctantly and they looked into each other's eyes. Monica smiled up to him and stroked his hair.
"I can't promise you that I'll be here for a long time, we do live in New York, after all, so anything could happen as soon as I leave our apartment." She paused. "Actually, everything can happen in here, too. We have Joey as a neighbor, after all."
Chandler laughed a bit at her words and the smile on her face got deeper. "The thing is, our happiness can end any day. That's how life works, Chandler. It's sad, but it's true. But I can promise you one thing: for as long as I live, I'll never leave you out of my own free will." Her face lost every humor and her gaze became serious. "Never forget that, Chandler. You hear me?"
He looked down at her for a long time; the only thing he did was to stroke her hair. Finally, he leaned down and gave her a soft, feather-light kiss on the lips. "I love you, Monica."
"I love you, too." She raised her head and drew him closer for a more passionate kiss. When they parted, they both smiled again. "Let's go to sleep," Monica suggested and pulled Chandler's head down so he could rest on her shoulder. His body still covered hers and she knew that at least two of her limbs would be asleep when she woke up, but she didn't care. As long as she could feel Chandlers’ weight, his warmth, and his breath ghosting over her skin, she knew that her world was right, that the one thing that meant everything to her at the moment was with her.
And with that in mind, they both fell asleep.