third person pov
"hey gorgeous, how's it going?" chandler was sitting in the tea room at work when shelley walks through the door.
"dehydrated japanese noodles under fluorescent lights...does it get better than this?" chandler replies sarcastically and shelley smiles.
"question. you're not dating anybody, are you, because i met somebody who would be perfect for you." a soft smirk is on her face as chandler looks up at her.
"ah, y'see, perfect might be a problem. had you said 'co-dependent', or 'self-destructive'..." chandler replies.
"do you want a date saturday?" shelley interrupts and chandler smiles up at her.
"yes please."
"okay. he's cute, he's funny, he's-"
"he's a he?" chandler questions, looking at her with a raised brow.
"well yeah!" from the look on chandler's face, shelley begins to fade to a flushed red. "oh god. i just, i thought. good, shelley. i'm just gonna flush myself down the toilet now..." she begins to back out of the room. "okay, goodbye.." chandler stares at his food in disbelief as she leaves.
*
in monica and rachel's apartment, everyone but gianna was discussing why and how they thought chandler could've been gay. he is in disbelief at their answers, deciding to stand and head into the kitchen. as he does, gianna pushes open the door and shuts it loudly behind her.
"oh rough day sweetie?" monica asks, turning to look at gianna. she looked miserable. her eyes were tired, her hair a mess.
"bet it wasn't as rough as mine." chandler mutters sarcastically to himself and gianna raises an eyebrow at him.
"alright, this'll be good." phoebe smiles. "gianna, when you first met chandler did you think he was gay?" she asks and gianna places her coat on the coat hook before placing her bag on the side table, her shoulders shrugging.
"i don't know. i never really thought about it." gianna replies, heading towards the kitchen table as the phone rings. monica reaches over and answers.
"hello? hello? oh! rachel, it's paolo calling from rome." monica smirks, handing the phone to her.
"oh my god! calling from rome!" she exclaims, taking the phone and looking over at gianna suggestively. "bon giorno, cara mio."
"so he's calling from rome. i could do that. just gotta go to rome." ross mutters to joey and rachel holds the phone away from her ear.
"monica, your dad just beeped in, but can you make it quick? talking to rome." rachel smiles giddily as she looks over at gianna and chandler at the kitchen table. "i'm talking to rome."
"hey dad, what's up?" monica listens for a moment before her face falls. "oh god." she looks over at ross. "ross, it's nana." the room goes silent as the pair rise quickly and exit through the door.
"i hope everything is okay." phoebe mutters, placing her plate in the sink. rachel begins to talk to paolo on the phone again, excusing herself to the balcony. phoebe goes over to joey and picks up her guitar whilst gianna and chandler remain in the kitchen.
"so when you first met me-"
"no, chandler. i did not think you were gay." gianna interrupts him and continues filling up a glass of water.
"really?" his voice was soft now as he leans against the counter next to her.
"well, no maybe a tiny bit." his face drops slightly. "but i don't think that anymore okay? now can i eat in peace?" gianna continues, and chandler's eyes soften as he sees how tired she looks.
"y-yeah.."
"thank you." she replies before heading into rachel's room and closing the door behind her. chandler's eyes remain on the closed door for a few moments before he heads over to joey and phoebe.
*
eveyone but ross and monica sat scattered around central perk. gianna sat in the middle of the couch as chandler stood beside the arm.
"i just have to know, okay. is it my hair?" he asks, exasperated. gianna glances up at him, her eyes drooping.
"yes, chandler, that's exactly what it is. it's your hair." rachel replies, standing opposite him behind the couch.
"yeah, you have homosexual hair." phoebe replies from beside gianna. chandler slumps beside gianna, his arm going around the back of the couch. without thinking, gianna leans into him, the warmth comforting her as her eyes dropped even lower. the door behind them swings open as monica and ross enter.
"so, um did she..." rachel begins.
"twice." ross replies.
"twice?" joey stammers and monica nods.
"oh, that sucks!" phoebe exclaims.
"you guys okay?" joey continues and gianna opens her eyes slightly, sitting up beside chandler. she leans back again, readjusting to get comfortable. his arm goes around her shoulders, pulling her closer into him, her head resting on top of his shoulder.
"i dunno, it's weird. i mean, i know she's gone, but i just don't feel, uh..." ross begins and phoebe nods.
"maybe that's cause she's not really gone." phoebe suggests and ross shakes his head.
"nono, she's gone."
"we checked. a lot." monica adds. from behind, rachel glances softly down at chandler and gianna.
"hm, i mean maybe no-one ever really goes. ever since my mum dies, every now and then, i get the feeling that she's like right here, y'know?" phoebe mutters, circling her hand around her right shoulder. chandler, sitting on her right, draws back nervously, pulling gianna with him. "oh! and debbie, my best friend from junior high - got struck by lightning on a miniature golf course - i always get this really strong debbie vibe whenever i use one of those little yellow pencails, y'know?" there is a pause as phoebe looks down. "i miss her."
"aw. hey, pheebs, want this?" rachel smiles handing her pencil to phoebe.
"thanks!"
"sure. i just sharpened her this morning." rachel replies and joey shakes his head.
"now, see, i don't believe any of that. i think once you're dead, you're dead! you're gone! you're worm food!" he looks around and off everyone's expressions, guesses his tactlessness. "...so, chandler looks gay, huh?"
"y'know, i dunno who this is, but it's not debbie." phoebe says, handing the pencil back to rachel.
"guys look." monica smiles quietly as she gestures towards gianna, who whilst they had been talking, had fallen asleep against chandler. her head now resting against his chest, her hand tucked gently underneath. chandler glances down at her, his fingers tracing lines on her arm as a soft smile appears on his lips. the rest of the gang glance at each other as they watch the pair interacting.
*
at monica and rachel's, the girls are preparing to leave for the funeral. gianna exits rachel's room as she places an earring through her ear.
"how we doing, you guys ready?" ross asks as he closes the front door behind him.
"mum already called this morning to remind me not to wear my hair up. did you know my ears are not my best feature?" monica replies sarcastically, covering her ears with her hands. rachel and gianna smile at each other.
"some days it's all i can think about." ross responds, standing at the kitchen table.
"hi, sorry i'm late, i couldn't find my bearings." phoebe says as she steps through the door.
"oh, you-you mean your earrings?" rachel stammers, looking over at phoebe.
"what'd i say?" phoebe asks and gianna shakes her head, taking her coat from the coat hook.
"hm-m." rachel hums, sticking her foot out for monica to see.
"are these the shoes?" she questions, looking down at rachel's new shoes.
"yes, paolo sent them from italy." rachel gushes as phoebe and gianna share a look.
"what, we-uh we don't have shoes here, or...?" ross' voice was disjointed as he looks down at the shoes and then back up at rachel. the front door swings open again as joey and chandler walk inside.
"morning. we ready to go?" joey asks, throwing his arm over gianna's shoulder.
"well, don't we look nice all dressed up?" chandler smiles, looking across the room. gianna raises an eyebrow at him. "it's stuff like that, isn't it?"
*
after the ceremony, everyone was walking through the graves. gianna was walking with monica when mrs geller approached, gianna thought to step back and let them have a mother-daughter moment. so instead she waited for chandler and joey to reach her side.
"hey-" chandler smiles, looking down at her. gianna smiles softly up at him before linking her arm with his, leaning against his body as they continued to walk through the graves. joey pulls his overcoat up to his ear and listens for a second before sighing. he then notices chandler and gianna watching him.
"what?"
"nothing, just your overcoat sounds remarkably like brent mussberger." chandler replies and joey sighs before pulling a pocket tv out slightly.
"check it out, giants-cowboys." joey smiles, glancing down at the screen.
"you're watching a football game at a funeral?" gianna scoffs, pulling her coat and chandler's arm closer as the wind blows through.
"no, it's the pre-game. i'm gonna watch it at the reception." joey responds and chandler rolls his eyes.
"you are a frightening, frightening man." he jokes and gianna leans her head against in shoulder as she giggles under her breathe. there is a moment before rachel steps in a patch of mud, gripping tightly onto ross and monica.
"oh no! my new paolo shoes!"
"oh, i hope they're not ruined." ross replies sarcastically, throwing a glance back to chandler and gianna.
"god, what a great day." phoebe mutters, looking around before seeing everyone's confused glances. "what? weather-wise!" ross smiles softly as they all continue walking.
"i know, uh the air, the-the trees...even though nana's gone there's, there's something almost, uh i-dunno, almost life-aff-" ross, not looking where he was going, trips and falls into an open grave.
"god! ross!" everyone exclaims, rushing to the edge. ross lay flat on his back, glancing at his surroundings.
"i'm fine. just-just having my worst fear realised." he replies before everyone helps him out.
*
at the wake, rachel and gianna sat on the couch whilst phoebe checked over ross. chandler stood at the table, making conversation with a woman - clearly failing at his attempt to flirt.
"so, how's chandler?" rachel asks, smirking as she looks at gianna's flushed features.
"i don't know..." she mutters, glancing over at him. "i just feel so comfortable around him." rachel smiles knowingly at gianna before ross emerges from a hallway, grinning inanely.
"hey, look who's up! how do you feel?" phoebe smiles, going over to him.
"i feel great. i feel - great. i fleel great." ross stammers, stumbling slightly towards monica.
"wow, those pills really worked, huh?" monica smiles and ross nods.
"not the first two, but the second two-wooo!" ross smiles brightly, his eyes dropping. "i love you guys. you guys are the greatest. i love my sister." he proceeds to kiss monica and turns to phoebe. "i love pheebs..." he wraps her in a hug.
"ooh! that's so nice..."
"chandler!" ross exclaims, enveloping chandler in a hug.
"hey."
"an listen man, if you wanna be gay, be gay. doesn't matter to me." ross replies loudly and chandler's face flinches as the woman he was talking to walks away with her friend. gianna smiles softly at chandler's expression before standing from the couch. "gianna!"
"oh, ross!" she exclaims through clenched teeth as he wraps his arms around her.
"you're so cool, and i love you." he mumbles and gianna laughs, standing him up straight before he moves to rachel. "rachel. rachel. rachel." he sits beside her and gianna wanders to chandler, her eyes still glued to ross and rachel. "i love you the most."
"oh, well you know who i love the most?" rachel replies, humouring ross' high.
"no."
"you!" she smiles, poking his shoulder.
"oh.." he smiles dreamily before his face contorts. "you don't get it!" he exclaims with frustration before passing out and slumping across her.
"boy..." gianna mutters, turning to face chandler. "you okay?" she asks, placing her hand gently on his bicep. he glances down at her, a soft smile forming on his lips.
"y-yeah, i'm okay." his voice was quiet as his eyes shifted to his feet.
"i'm sorry everyone thinks you're gay." she jokes, pushing his foot with her shoe. a quiet laugh escapes his lips and she glances back up at him. they both smile at each other softly and across the room, monica, rachel and phoebe smile at them knowingly.
*
the next day, everyone sat around the couch at central perk, photos covering the table in front of them.
"hey, who's this little naked guy?" rachel smiles, pointing at the photo she was holding.
"that little naked guy would be me." ross replies glumly.
"awww, look at the little thing." rachel giggles, pointing it out to gianna.
"yes, yes, fine, that is my penis. can you be grown-ups, now?" ross asks, staring seriously at everyone.
"who are those people?" chandler asks, handing a photo to ross and monica.
"oh, that's nana, right there in the middle." monica turns the photos over. "'me and the gang at java joe's'."
"wow, monica you look just like your grandmother. how old was she there?" gianna questions, looking across at the photo.
"let's see, 1939...yeah 24, 25?" monica smiles.
"looks like a fun gang." ross adds and everyone glances at each other, soft smiles covering their faces.
"ooh, look-look-look-look! i got monica's naked!" joey exclaims, waving the photo in front of ross.
"nono, that would be me again. i'm uh, just trying to something." everyone collapses into a fit of laughter as ross responds.
*
not edited!