Requested by lainz_mono
I apologise in advance for taking lines out of a couple of episodes here and there, but they're just really damn good and I normally swear by never copying from the original script (because it can kill a fanfiction by making it boring, and I see it as unoriginal and pretty lazy writing) but I thought they fit quite well for Chandler and the reader. Forgive me for being such a hypocrite.
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'Sometimes the person you'd take a bullet for is standing behind the trigger'
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"Is that all, sir?" I say politely, putting the video in a paper bag and handing it to him. "That'll be $12.95." As the guy hands me a wad of cash, I can't help sighing. What has my life come to? Working in an x-rated video store in Manhattan definitely isn't my calling in life.
I used to have a good job in Brooklyn, in an office. I won't sugarcoat it: it was shit. But it was good money, so I hung on for a while until I couldn't take the computer screens and fluorescent lights any longer. I quit and moved to the West Village, purely because it's the only place I could find a job. I haven't even got an apartment yet, so I'm going to stay at a hotel until then.
My shift is finally over. I grab my bag and head out of the door, only to realise it's raining. Correction, it's absolutely hammering it down. I don't have a coat... I'm just going to have to leg it. There aren't many people on the streets at this time because of the rain, so I manage to make it into a coffee house relatively unscathed, however my hair is an absolute mess. I decide to get some coffee and hang out in here until the rain stops.
A blonde woman around my age comes and sits down across from me. "Hey, you look like you could do with some company right now," she says kindly. "I'm Phoebe." She holds out her hand, and I shake it nervously.
"I'm [Y/N]."
"Have you got a place to stay right now? My friends have a spare room, if you want it."
(A/N: Joey and Chandler's apartment has a third room in this story)
"That's great... but how did you know I don't have a place?"
"Drenched and shivering in a coffee house at 10pm doesn't exactly say 'I've got a great place to crash at'. Oh, and the fact you've brought a suitcase with you, I just figured you're between things right now."
I smile, happy to have made a new friend. "Can I meet your friends?"
"Sure, they're over here," I follow her to the back of the coffee place, where five people are sitting and chatting. "Everyone, this is [Y/N]. [Y/N], this is Rachel, Monica, Joey, Ross and Chandler." They all say "Hi" in unison, and I chuckle nervously.
"So who are the guys with the spare room?"
"That'd be Joey and me," says Chandler. "Have we finally got someone to fill that empty room?"
"Yeah, isn't that so exciting? We've got a new friend!" says Phoebe excitedly. I smile weakly, picking up my suitcase.
"So, can you show me to your place?"
"Sure, we were all going to hang out at my place anyway. We live across the hall from Chandler and Joey." says Monica.
*
The past few months have been great. I love living with Joey and Chandler, and I feel so lucky to be in such a nice group of friends. There's only one problem: I think I've started to develop feelings for Chandler. It's nothing, anyway. It'll probably go away in a few weeks, and he can go back to being my friend who tells annoying jokes. Except they're not annoying... they're really funny, and I've found that I'm the only one who ever laughs at them, but I find it really cute that he's always trying to make us laugh.
I can't do anything about my feelings anyway, because Chandler and I have become really close friends, and he's been seeing a woman named Janice whom Joey seems to hate. I don't mind her, but she makes me feel so jealous, and I regret never telling Chandler how I felt earlier. But now Chandler and I are even better friends than he is with Joey or Ross, and I don't want to throw that away. We stay up every night talking about what it would be like to quit our shitty jobs and pursue our dreams. I've wanted to be an actor since I was young, but my parents didn't let me because it's an uncertain career path with no job security. Now that I don't have a real career anymore, maybe I can start over.
I come home from my shift, exhausted after debating for twenty-five minutes whether or not a man had gone over the cutoff time for a video he rented. I ended up giving in and letting him pay less, even though it was three minutes after the cutoff. I'm a bit of a pushover when it comes to customer service... after all, I was never suited to this kind of career.
Joey's on one of the barca loungers with a beer, and I decide to join him. I need to relax a little this evening; all my pent-up feelings for Chandler are starting to stress me out. I grab a beer, settling on the other barca lounger, and turn to Joey.
"Where are Chandler and Janice?" I say quietly. I notice Joey scowl at the mention of her name; we share a mutual hatred of her, but for entirely different reasons. He finds her so annoying he wants to rip his arm off just so he has something to throw at her. I don't hate her as a person... I just wish she'd never met Chandler.
"They're on a date. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine... why wouldn't I be?"
"You're drinking beer. You hate beer. You're clearly not fine." He pauses to take a sip of his own beer, eyeing me curiously. "You like Chandler, don't you?"
"What?"
"Listen... I'm Joey. I'm a Tribbiani. We know these things. We may not be great thinkers or world leaders, we don't read a lot or run very fast, but when it comes to depressed, vulnerable women, I know what I'm talking about. Could you want him more?" He chuckles, taking a few more sips of beer as he watches me at a complete loss for words. How did he work that out? "Come on, just pick up the phone, ring his cell and tell him how you feel. What's the harm in that?"
"Well, for starters he could hear me saying those words," I roll my eyes. "And secondly he's with Janice. I can't ruin their relationship, they're in love."
"Who would fall in love with that wart?"
"Chandler would."
A few beers later, Joey finally convinces me to pick up the phone. I clear my throat nervously, and it goes to answerphone. "Hey Chandler, it's me. I just wanted to say something I've wanted to say for a long time... and I know it probably won't change anything because you're with Janice now... but I have feelings for you. I'm sorry." I hang up, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
*
I've just finished a late shift at work and am about to close the shop when Chandler comes in. He stayed over at Janice's last night so we haven't seen each other since I made that phone call, and I've been really nervous about it all day. He walks in, taking a moment to look at me, before finally speaking.
"You had no right to tell me you ever had feelings for me!"
"What?"
"I was doing great with Janice before I found out about you!"
"Hey, I was doing great before I had feelings for you, you think it's easy for me to see you with Janice?"
"Well you should have said something before I met her!"
"I wasn't sure of my feelings then. What does it matter, you don't have the same feelings," There's a pause. "You have feelings for me? Why didn't you say anything?"
"There was never a good time."
"Yeah, cos we only live together, we only see each other every day."
"Not... every day... and it's not like I didn't try, [Y/N], but things kept getting in the way. And then Janice came back into town and I found it easier to know that she and I want the same things. I had no idea what you wanted and I didn't want to risk our friendship by asking."
"So what's your point?"
"The point is, I don't need this right now. It's too late, I'm with somebody else, I'm happy. This ship has sailed."
"What are you saying, you're just gonna put away your feelings or whatever it was you felt for me in the first place?"
"I've been doing it for four months, I've gotten pretty damn good at it."
"You go and do that, alright Chandler? 'Cause I don't need you or your stupid ship!"
He leaves, and I lock the door behind him, leaning against it as a tear slips down my cheek. This is not how I wanted this to go. I see him pause at the end of the block and turn around, and I open the door just as he comes back into the shop. He pushes me against a shelf and kisses me, and I kiss him back, my arms going around his neck as my hands reaching his hair, his hands gently tracing up and down my curves. After a few moments, we break apart, and I rest my forehead on his. "So... is it gonna be me or Janice?" I whisper.
"It's always been you, [Y/N]." he murmurs, kissing me again. I smile into the kiss, feeling happier than I've felt in months, and the door to the shop opens again.
"I'm sorry, we're closed." I look around and it's my boss.
"We've noticed some videos have been going missing from the store. All the evidence points to you. I'm sorry [Y/N], but we're going to have to let you go."
I stare at him. "Just like that?"
He nods. "Just like that. Now get out of here, and take your boyfriend with you."
Chandler and I leave the shop, and I don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm unemployed...
"[Y/N], we're going to figure this out. Why don't you become an actor with Joey? You've always said it's your dream."
"Maybe I will." I start to cheer up a little, knowing I can finally pursue my dream of becoming an actor. Maybe things aren't so bad after all. Besides, that was an awful job and it was only supposed to be temporary. I guess I'm moving on to bigger and better things now, and it's even better that the man I love is right by my side.
*
Joey and I are practising lines for an audition I've got next week. He managed to get me an audition for Days Of Our Lives, and I'm so excited that I might end up being his co-star.
"Okay, and then you say 'I will always love you, Drake.'"
"I will always love you, Drake." I say, glancing at the script. "It says I have to kiss you next."
"You're not cheating on Chandler. This is acting. We're just friends. Don't worry about it, I'm a serious actor."
I nod, leaning forward nervously. This is so weird... Joey is like a brother to me. I kiss him, shortly but convincingly enough, and Joey nods his approval. I hear the front door slam and we exchange a glance. Chandler must've seen and got the wrong idea. I tiptoe across the hall and hear him shouting exasperatedly in Monica and Rachel's apartment.
"Am I not good enough for her? What do I have to do for her to be satisfied? Give her a place to stay? Be best friends with her? Break up with Janice for her? Oh wait, I did all that!"
I open the door slowly, a little offended by what I just heard. "You... you really think I'm cheating on you?" I say quietly.
"I walked in on you kissing Joey! You totally betrayed me!"
"We were rehearsing for an audition. I'm up for a part on Days Of Our Lives," I explain, my voice almost a whisper. "If you can't trust me, we can't do this anymore."
"[Y/N], wait..." But it's too late. I'm already gone.
*
It's been weeks. Three painful weeks. I landed the part on Days Of Our Lives, but it came at a cost. Chandler won't speak to me, and I can't bring myself to speak to him. I can't believe he thought I'd cheat on him. Doesn't he trust me at all?
This has been going on in my head for long enough, and I decide I need to do something about it. Actions speak louder than words, right?
It's 11pm. I knock on Chandler's bedroom door, but there's no answer, of course. I know he isn't asleep, he just doesn't want to talk. I open the door anyway, and I find him standing on the other side, his hand outstretched as though he's about to reach for the handle, but I beat him to it. I don't say anything: stepping forward, I cup his face with both hands and kiss him, deeply, slowly, passionately. He responds with such enthusiasm I'm lifted off my feet as he picks me up and pushes me against the wall. He pulls away, taking a moment to look at me.
"I thought you hated me." he says, catching his breath.
"Quite the opposite," I reply. "I love you, Bing."
"Thank God, these past few weeks all I could think about is how I was such an idiot for not trusting you, because I know now... I can't live without you, [Y/N]."
I grin as he lowers me to the ground. "Now, let's make up for lost time."