Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read or reviewed this story! I hope you all enjoyed.

I'm frozen. This is it. I just admitted the truth: I like Joey and now he knows it.

Of course, every worst possible outcome is running through my brain. Maybe he'll walk out or laugh in my face.

Instead, I see something familiar happen - a smile. Joey begins to smile, this is a good sign, right?

"Really?" he asks still smiling.

"Uh...yeah," I confirm.

"Well, what took you so long?" he asks and then he hooks me back into his arms and kisses me on my surprised lips.

"What? You... like me?" I try to clarify.

"Yeah," he replies like it's obvious.

I shake my head.

"Really? Since...when?" I inquire.

"The whole time," he claims.

That is hard for me to believe.

I should be celebrating and accepting his returned feelings, instead I need answers.

"But... you had to hate me in the beginning, you were so rude," I accuse him.

"Hey," he frowns, offended by my remark.

"You were! You barely spoke to me," I remind him.

He looks down, a bit ashamed.

"I never thought you were gonna like me. Successful business guys always treat me like shit - so I just had my guard up from day one," he explains.

I shake my head, trying to process this all.

"So, you never thought to be nicer to me after I didn't treat you like shit?" I question him.

"Hey, I did get better! But I still didn't think you liked me, so I wasn't gonna try that hard," he tells me.

I shake my head one last time.

"So, the whole time?" I clarify once more.

"I thought you were cute the whole time. I don't know, I'm attracted to business men. You were totally my type, but you're the first one to actually like me back," he claims.

That's also hard to believe, but I guess it is likely that really success business men might not have an interest in getting involved with actors.

I finally start to enjoy the fact that this is actually happening, Joey likes me back. I feel butterflies in my stomach and I lean in to kiss him. He's happy with this response and kisses me back. That is, until I think of another question I'm just too curious about.

"So, were any of those heartfelt one-liners true?" I ask him, thinking back to all the red carpets conversations.

He smirks, a little embarrassed.

"I mean, most of those I just steal from the show," he confesses.

"Really? And no one recognizes them?"

"Not when they're so general," he says.

I nod my head.

"Huh, I was wondering how you had so many," I comment.

"Hey, I can be romantic on my own," he defends and then steps around me to sit in my desk chair. He spins me around and pulls me onto his lap - as if to prove his point. This isn't so much romantic as it is turning me on.

I wrap my hands around his neck and settle onto his lap comfortably.

I lean down and kiss him.

"So, how do you like me?" Joey questions me and I'm thrown with complete surprise by his question. I can't believe he's even questioning someone else's attraction to him. Then again, he wasn't on his best behavior by any means so maybe that's why.

"I mean... what's not to like?" I sneer, feeling my face blush already.

"Well, you're much smarter than me," he suddenly debates.

"Why do you say that?"

"You use a lot of big words," he points out.

I smirk at that.

"Is that how you define intelligence?" I ask him.

"Most of the time," he shrugs.

"You are smart - just in other ways," I say honestly.

"Like getting in someone's pants smart?" he asks cheekily.

"Sure, that's one way," I chuckle.

"Speaking of, are we still gonna have sex in your office?"

"You really want to? In the middle of the day - the middle of the work day? Everyone's here...people might try to walk in," I express with worry - as usual.

"You're only convincing me more," Joey grins.

I smirk back at him.

How can I say no to that face. I lean down and kiss him.

We work pretty fast and I have to say it felt wrong, but it also felt so right.

Joey and I are back at Central Perk with my friends - well, actually our friends now. We come here often and everyone has grown so comfortable with Joey. We all get along, we all hang out probably too much and it's kind of completely amazing. I've never been happier in my life.

Today, I'm telling Joey how I used to live right across the hall from Monica and Rachel.

"That must have been fun," he comments as we're all lounging in our typical spots. I'm cuddled in Joey's arms on the big sofa.

"Yep, apartment 19," I note.

"We miss having you as our neighbor," Monica comments.

"Me too," I agree genuinely.

"Maybe you should consider downsizing," Phoebe half jokes.

"I honestly have considered it. I don't need so much space, I hardly have any stuff," I share.

"Ooh, I can take your penthouse!" Rachel volunteers.

We all look over at her.

"What? I miss having so much money," she frowns.

I realize that comment might be confusing to Joey who doesn't know her background.

"She used to live off her father's money," I quickly tell Joey.

"Ah," he notes.

"I used to have a pony and a boat and so many clothes," Rachel tells Joey.

"Chandler, why don't you buy Rachel a pony?" Joey insists.

The gang laughs at that one.

I look up at him and he grins instantly.

"Maybe for Christmas," I joke and Rachel gives me a kidding glare.

A month goes by of Joey and I officially dating.

We're back at Central Perk yet again and Monica invites us up to her apartment for some leftover pie she baked.

We start heading upstairs.

"Hey Bing," Phoebe says as we're exiting the coffee shop.

"Yeah?"

"I have a business proposal for you," she says.

"Alright..."

We all walk upstairs with Phoebe and I lingering behind while she explains some elaborate "business plan" which in the end boils down to her playing her guitar in my company's lobby for tips.

"You know what, I'll think on it," I finally say as we're at Monica's floor.

We walk up the last few steps and enter the hallway when I notice everyone else standing in a line beaming with wide smiles.

"What's going on?" I ask, weirded out.

Monica, Rachel and Ross move over and reveal Joey standing in front of my old apartment.

I walk over to him, assuming that's what they are waiting for.

"What's happening?" I ask Joey.

"I've been thinking about how you have your place and I have mine," Joey begins.

"O-Okay..." I stutter.

His smile grows larger and I hear the girls behind me losing their cool.

"I thought we should have a place of our own," he says and then puts his hand out to reveal a key with a bow on it.

"Are you serious?" I ask.

"Yes!" The girls shriek behind me.

Joey smiles.

"Yeah," he says, placing the key in my hand.

"You bought my old apartment ... for us?" I need to say out loud.

"I hope that's okay?" Joey suddenly grows concerned.

"Are you kidding? It's more than okay, this is amazing," I finally express. I spring into his arms and kiss him.

"I love you," I tell him for the first time.

"I love you too," he returns.

We kiss again and all my friends sing "awww" at the same time.

We both look over to roll our eyes at them, but they don't care. They all rush over to give us a huge, group hug. God, I love my friends.

I finally move to the door of our new apartment and put the key in, the lock is already open. I take the key back out.

"It's already unlocked," I comment.

"Yeah, we went in this morning," Phoebe says and walks past us into the apartment as if she lives there.

"I had to clean up, obviously!" Monica comments and follows Phoebe in.

"You know we never lock doors around here," Rachel adds and then walks herself in as well.

"Welcome back buddy," Ross pats my shoulder and proceeds into the apartment along with everyone else.

"So much for our big entrance," Joey chuckles.

"We don't need it," I smile and kiss him again. He kisses me back and then takes my hand as we walk into our apartment together.

The End.