[In my previous story, "Something to Talk About," Joey and Chandler became lovers during episode 221, TOW The Bullies. Then all their friends, led by Monica, discovered their secret.
This sequel explores a year of Joey and Chandler's continuing relationship, as well as some of what happens to their friends. Remember, Ross and Rachel are still dating at this time, and so are Monica and Richard (for now, anyway). I'll handle the return of Janice, and other events, differently than the TV show.]
For Rachel's birthday, the gang had to split her party in two because her divorcing parents couldn't get along. The deception worked, but Rachel couldn't really enjoy either party because she had to listen to her parents bitching about each other. Being familiar with the trauma of divorcing parents, Chandler comforted her for a bit, before turning the job over to Ross.
Just as Mrs. Green was leaving that night, Joey wound up kissing her to keep her from seeing Mr. Green leave the other party.
"Wow! That was some kiss." Chandler sounded rather annoyed.
"It was the only distraction I could think of!" Joey responded. "You're not jealous, are you?"
He shrugged coolly. "Maybe I just want to be sure you're not gonna kiss *my* mom, like Ross did."
"Of course not! Come on," he pulled Chandler closer, "how about I give you a kiss that blows that one away?"
"Make it a whole night, and you've got yourself a deal."
Joey nodded and pulled Chandler into their apartment.
***
The next week, Phoebe announced excitedly that her Navy submarine guy Ryan was coming to visit for two weeks instead of his usual three days. However, that good news was soon overshadowed by Ross's bad news, that his son Ben had the chicken pox. Of the gang, only Phoebe had never had chicken pox before.
As soon as Phoebe's symptoms started, everyone urged her to go home and get into bed, but Phoebe said that her grandmother also never had the chicken pox either, so Monica and Rachel offered to let her stay at their apartment until she recovered.
Later, while Monica was taking care of Phoebe, Joey came in.
"Hi," Monica smiled. "So how'd the audition go?"
"Awful!" He plopped down on the couch next to Phoebe. "I really needed that part, too. I mean, when Chandler was paying all my bills before, it was nice, but now it feels like he's my sugar daddy or something."
Monica giggled. "Like father, like son."
Phoebe added, "Yep, those rich Bings always spoil their cute houseboys!"
"Ha, ha!" he answered sarcastically. "But seriously, I got to find some kind of job, even just to hold me over. You two got any ideas?"
"Why don't you ask Chandler to get you one of those entry-level processor jobs at his company? That's what he offered me before I got the diner job." She frowned. "And sometimes I wish I'd taken it."
"Nah, we already discussed that, and it wouldn't work. I, uh, I kinda already made a lasting impression there a couple of weeks ago."
"What do you mean?"
He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "Well, I kinda met Chandler for lunch and we, um, we had sex in his office."
"Ooh!" Monica smiled wickedly.
"I guess we don't need to ask how your sex life's going." But after a pause, Phoebe leaned confidentially nearer. "So how *is* your sex life going?"
"Phoebe!" Monica scolded.
"Come on, it's a big step changing teams and all. Anything you want to discuss with your friends, huh?"
Monica couldn't help looking curious too.
Joey blushed. "Nah, I'm okay."
Phoebe shrugged. "All right, but you know what they say--gay men and straight girls make great friends. We can bitch about guys together."
"She's got a point there."
He shrugged. "Well, I've only been with the one guy, so I don't have anything to bitch about."
"Really, with Chandler? I mean, what about his sarcastic jokes all the time? Oh, and does he actually, like, tease you about being a houseboy?"
"No, no," Joey shook his head. "No, Chandler's great."
"Lucky dog, you!"
Joey was surprised by Phoebe's bitter tone. "What about your submarine guy Ryan?"
"Are you kidding? When he sees me sick like this, it's gonna totally ruin our two weeks together."
Monica hugged her. "Don't worry, Pheebs. Rachel and I will make you up all pretty and everything."
"Okay," but Phoebe remained depressed about being the only single person left among the six friends.
Joey hugged her too, then got up to leave. "Good luck with Ryan."
He auditioned for more parts, but still had no success. It was depressing being unemployed again, especially after having been Dr. Drake Ramoray on *Days of Our Lives*.
Chandler comforted him afterward, and when words weren't enough, he readily offered to get physical. While they were in bed, Joey commented, "That's what I like about you."
"What?"
"Having sex with a guy--if you don't feel like foreplay, nobody complains about it."
Chandler laughed, and they got down to business.
As for Phoebe, it turned out that Ryan also never had chicken pox. He wasn't willing to avoid her, though, so he and Phoebe suffered the disease together. It was romantic, but incredibly itchy.
This sequel explores a year of Joey and Chandler's continuing relationship, as well as some of what happens to their friends. Remember, Ross and Rachel are still dating at this time, and so are Monica and Richard (for now, anyway). I'll handle the return of Janice, and other events, differently than the TV show.]
For Rachel's birthday, the gang had to split her party in two because her divorcing parents couldn't get along. The deception worked, but Rachel couldn't really enjoy either party because she had to listen to her parents bitching about each other. Being familiar with the trauma of divorcing parents, Chandler comforted her for a bit, before turning the job over to Ross.
Just as Mrs. Green was leaving that night, Joey wound up kissing her to keep her from seeing Mr. Green leave the other party.
"Wow! That was some kiss." Chandler sounded rather annoyed.
"It was the only distraction I could think of!" Joey responded. "You're not jealous, are you?"
He shrugged coolly. "Maybe I just want to be sure you're not gonna kiss *my* mom, like Ross did."
"Of course not! Come on," he pulled Chandler closer, "how about I give you a kiss that blows that one away?"
"Make it a whole night, and you've got yourself a deal."
Joey nodded and pulled Chandler into their apartment.
***
The next week, Phoebe announced excitedly that her Navy submarine guy Ryan was coming to visit for two weeks instead of his usual three days. However, that good news was soon overshadowed by Ross's bad news, that his son Ben had the chicken pox. Of the gang, only Phoebe had never had chicken pox before.
As soon as Phoebe's symptoms started, everyone urged her to go home and get into bed, but Phoebe said that her grandmother also never had the chicken pox either, so Monica and Rachel offered to let her stay at their apartment until she recovered.
Later, while Monica was taking care of Phoebe, Joey came in.
"Hi," Monica smiled. "So how'd the audition go?"
"Awful!" He plopped down on the couch next to Phoebe. "I really needed that part, too. I mean, when Chandler was paying all my bills before, it was nice, but now it feels like he's my sugar daddy or something."
Monica giggled. "Like father, like son."
Phoebe added, "Yep, those rich Bings always spoil their cute houseboys!"
"Ha, ha!" he answered sarcastically. "But seriously, I got to find some kind of job, even just to hold me over. You two got any ideas?"
"Why don't you ask Chandler to get you one of those entry-level processor jobs at his company? That's what he offered me before I got the diner job." She frowned. "And sometimes I wish I'd taken it."
"Nah, we already discussed that, and it wouldn't work. I, uh, I kinda already made a lasting impression there a couple of weeks ago."
"What do you mean?"
He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "Well, I kinda met Chandler for lunch and we, um, we had sex in his office."
"Ooh!" Monica smiled wickedly.
"I guess we don't need to ask how your sex life's going." But after a pause, Phoebe leaned confidentially nearer. "So how *is* your sex life going?"
"Phoebe!" Monica scolded.
"Come on, it's a big step changing teams and all. Anything you want to discuss with your friends, huh?"
Monica couldn't help looking curious too.
Joey blushed. "Nah, I'm okay."
Phoebe shrugged. "All right, but you know what they say--gay men and straight girls make great friends. We can bitch about guys together."
"She's got a point there."
He shrugged. "Well, I've only been with the one guy, so I don't have anything to bitch about."
"Really, with Chandler? I mean, what about his sarcastic jokes all the time? Oh, and does he actually, like, tease you about being a houseboy?"
"No, no," Joey shook his head. "No, Chandler's great."
"Lucky dog, you!"
Joey was surprised by Phoebe's bitter tone. "What about your submarine guy Ryan?"
"Are you kidding? When he sees me sick like this, it's gonna totally ruin our two weeks together."
Monica hugged her. "Don't worry, Pheebs. Rachel and I will make you up all pretty and everything."
"Okay," but Phoebe remained depressed about being the only single person left among the six friends.
Joey hugged her too, then got up to leave. "Good luck with Ryan."
He auditioned for more parts, but still had no success. It was depressing being unemployed again, especially after having been Dr. Drake Ramoray on *Days of Our Lives*.
Chandler comforted him afterward, and when words weren't enough, he readily offered to get physical. While they were in bed, Joey commented, "That's what I like about you."
"What?"
"Having sex with a guy--if you don't feel like foreplay, nobody complains about it."
Chandler laughed, and they got down to business.
As for Phoebe, it turned out that Ryan also never had chicken pox. He wasn't willing to avoid her, though, so he and Phoebe suffered the disease together. It was romantic, but incredibly itchy.