Joey&Chandler

MTF (The Confrontation)

When Chandler arrived at their apartment, his arms were full, so he knocked.
"Who is it?" Joey answered after a pause.

"It's me. Can you get the door?"

"Chan-Chandler? What are you doing here?" He sounded anxious.

"I left you a message, but you didn't come for lunch, so I brought it home to you."

"But-but you can't just leave work. What do you think you are, an actor?"

"Joey, I'm waiting with food!"

"All right." Joey reluctantly came to the door and let Chandler in, but he hid behind the door and then quickly got out of the way as Chandler put the take-out boxes down in the kitchen.

When Chandler looked up, Joey was already heading toward his bedroom. "Wait, Joey, where are you going?"

Joey stopped but didn't turn around to face Chandler. "I gotta go rehearse some lines."

"I'll rehearse them with you. Come back, we'll have some food and talk, okay?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry now. I gotta go."

"Joey, please!" Chandler rushed over to him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Joey paused at his door and took an uneasy breath. "Sorry about what? Wh-what are you getting all emotional for?" He still wouldn't face Chandler, and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Chandler swallowed, and spoke more softly. "I know, okay? I know about last night."

Despite his misery, Joey still put on an air of bravado, "Last night? Come on, that was nothing. I can get any girl I want, and you think I care about, about...?" He trailed off when he felt Chandler take his arm.

"Joey," he whispered sympathetically. "I-I had no idea."

He pulled away from Chandler and scoffed. "No idea? You thought I was serious when you had that panic attack over there. Just, just forget about it, okay?"

"No! Joey," Chandler grabbed him again and tried turning him around. "I know I reacted badly, but we've gotta talk about this."

"You mean talk about how you're not gay?" Joey asked resentfully. "I think we've established that fact just fine."

"I'm so, so sorry! You caught me off guard there. Up until that kiss, I had no clue that you weren't just talking about Ross and Rachel getting together. I didn't know you were, you were having feelings for me. I mean, when did this start? How? I never thought you could be gay in a million years."

Joey sighed heavily and finally turned around, hiding his face a little as he went over to the couch to sit down.

Chandler followed him and watched him anxiously.

"Um," Joey started with difficulty, "um, I'm not sure what I am anymore. I've liked girls for so long, but lately I've been having all these, these new feelings I don't know what to do with. Remember when I told you guys that I dated a girl with a big Adam's apple? You told me she couldn't have been a woman, and it got me all confused, you know? I mean, I can vividly remember making out with her, er, him-whatever!" He put his thumb and index finger close together. "I was this close to sleeping with her before I broke up with her. This close, Chandler!"

He patted Joey's shoulder comfortingly and tried to imagine the predicament.

Joey struggled on. "So then I started wondering what that meant about me. You know, what if I *had* slept with her-and liked it? What if I really like guys too? And I noticed how you and me, we're close and we're always hugging. And whenever Ross and Rachel seemed to be getting together, we'd think it was so sweet, you know, and you'd be touching me and rubbing my back. It-it just felt really good, and it seemed like maybe you liked me too. And I saw you wearing that little hot pink g-string, and um, I thought to myself, 'If I ever did sleep with a guy, it would be Chandler.' But we're buddies, you know, so I didn't do anything."