EASY | chandler bing

nine; first date

CHAPTER NINE
･ﾟ:* ✧

caroline

"this christmas" echoed softly in the apartment alongside the calming whirring of the coffee machine and the kettle. while the snow fell outside the window, caroline was huddled up on the sofa, mittens comfortably curled up beside her. ever since she had come back to new york, caroline could finally take some well-deserved rest and fully recover from the european tour, which was the best yet most tiring experience she could have ever wished for.

but although the cold she had caught had been wearing her out for a few days now, and she was looking forward to being able to normally function again, a deep feeling of joy and gratitude warmed her heart; reconnecting with phoebe and becoming friends with her group was definitely the best thing about coming back home (of course right after being able to spend more time with mittens!).

leaning forward to pat the cat's ginger fur, caroline glanced at the wooden clock hanging above the sofa. the previous day, chandler had asked her if she wanted to have coffee together, which she wholehearted accepted; she couldn't resist his smile, a smile that had somehow appeared a little shy, contrasting with his usual sarcastic personality. she felt like something had slightly changed between them after their interaction on the night the group had dinner together—they seemed to have got much closer, often finding themselves sitting next to one another, telling jokes or whispering funny remarks to each other. as caroline's cold hadn't gone away yet, she had invited him over for coffee instead of going out to a café and running the risk of getting worse.

the clock had just struck seven o'clock, and outside the sky had already turned a deep shade of blue while the city lights were shimmering in festive golden flashes, contributing to the liveliness of new york evenings. yes, caroline was definitely delighted to enjoy this time of the year in her hometown, and was looking forward to spending new year's with her friends and family. that end-of-the-year festive feeling had the incredible ability to fill endings with joy, and momentarily eclipse the melancholy that comes with forced new beginnings.

the doorbell rang at last a few minutes later, disrupting the young woman's daydreaming. moving her blanket aside and tugging a few loose strands of ginger hair behind her ear, caroline went up to the front door and unlocked it to find chandler standing in front of her, snowflakes caught up in his hair and coat.

"hey," he smiled somewhat shyly, as though not really sure whether he was welcome—but he always was.

"hi chandler, come in," caroline greeted him warmly, stepping aside and gesturing toward the hallway so that he could step inside. "how are you?"

"i'm alright, thanks, finally escaped that downpour of snow," he laughed, taking his slightly damp coat off and hanging it on the coat rack. "how about you? how was your day?"

"it was great, thank you." caroline offered chandler sleepers before the pair proceeded to the living room, where mittens was still sleepily curled up on the sofa. "i've just been playing the cello. i have to be ready to start practising again with the orchestra in january," she explained; her career also had to get back to a calmer pace after the long tour. "do you want some tea? or coffee? it must be freezing outside."

"some tea will do, please," chandler smiled at caroline, then noticed mittens. "oh, there you are!" he said softly, approaching the cat whose ears shuddered at the sound of his footsteps. "can i?" he turned around to face his host, giving her an inquiring look as to whether he could pet mittens.

"oh course," she agreed wholeheartedly, finding her friend's cautious behaviour around the cat adorable.

chandler crouched, running his fingers between mittens' ears, and the cat closed his eyes again as to signify his satisfaction. then, seeing that caroline was about to leave the room to get their beverages, chandler retraced his steps to help her.

they were back in the living room a couple of minutes later, carrying steaming mugs of green tea and a plate of cookies—though caroline's cooking skills were nothing out of the extraordinary, she was inspired by and was learning from monica, whose cooking skills were held in high esteem among the group. the duo sat down on the sofa, placing the food and drinks on the coffee table in front of them.

"thank you again for having me over," chandler said gratefully, shifting slightly so that he could face caroline, and picked up one of the mugs, taking a sip of hot tea. the liquid left a sweet and warm imprint on his tongue, making him forget all about the snowfall he had been under. "how are you feeling? is your cold getting better?"

"yes, i hope to be fully functioning soon," caroline smiled, her fingers curling around her own mug of tea. "and thank you for coming. how was your day at work?"

"just the usual. i'm glad to have escaped that too," chandler laughed, shaking his head.

the more the conversation went on, the more relaxed the pair got, and soon enough they were back to chuckling at chandler's jokes and talking freely, the slight shyness and embarrassment of being alone together quickly wearing off. caroline was not sure whether this counted as a date, but one thing was definitely certain—the joyfulness and easiness that chandler brought her were very real.

caroline had a feeling that the warmth spreading through her stomach was not due to tea only.