[Joey x Chandler] COMPILATION OF SHORT STORIES FROM AO3

The One With All the Cuddling

"You know if the shorter person is behind the taller person, it's called jet-packing, right?" Joey mumbled into the back of Chandler's shoulder. "It's not spooning."

Chandler frowned.

"Really? Even when they're only, like... 3 inches shorter than you?"

"Hey! I'm not that much shorter than you!" Joey complained, sitting up slightly so he had a better view of Chandler's face.

"Fine. 2 inches."

"At least my dick is at least 2 inches longer than yours." Joey grumbled, turning to lie on his back as Chandler chuckled and rolled onto his side, facing Joey.

"Awe, don't sulk. My dick is only 3 inches so yours is still small, honey!" Joey slapped him playfully, pulling the duvet over his face to hide his smile. "You are an actual child."

"No, I'm not. I'm a teenager."

"Well, you're horny enough to be one, I guess." Chandler deadpanned, flicking the area of forehead he could see as Joey slowly pulled the duvet away from his face.

"How did this turn from me teaching you how to cuddling into horny teenagers?" Joey wondered out loud, staring up at the ceiling. Chandler shrugged.

"I don't know, but you still haven't actually taught me anything about cuddling other than the smaller person lying behind the bigger person is jet-packing. And I'm not exactly the type of guy to go for someone taller than me. I look pathetic enough as it is."

"You don't look pathetic." Joey frowned, ignoring the rest of what Chandler had said. "Except maybe when you wear those sweater vests. I mean, seriously dude? At least make them leather!" Chandler rolled his eyes in response, lying down on his back next to Joey, who in turn rolled onto his side to face Chandler.

"Thanks, man. But this is gay enough for me. Can we get to the cuddling now?" Joey raised an eyebrow.

"I'm choosing cuddling with you over a sandwich, feel honoured!" Joey laughed, shuffling closer to Chandler and resting his head on his chest and turning so he was lying more on his back. He pulled Chandler's arm around his neck and tried to relax all his muscles. "This is called 'Shingles'. Don't ask me why."

"It's comfortable." Chandler mumbled, holding back a sneeze when Joey's hair tickled his nose. "Except for the tickling."

"Sorry, man." Joey tried to look sympathetic. "The tickling is unavoidable."

"Wow, a 5 syllable word. Well done, Joey!"

"Stop trying to change the subject away from the gay." Joey glared at his best friend. "The next one is pretty similar really. You stay in the same place, but the girl turns onto his stomach with her head closer to being tucked into your neck." Joey turned onto his front, repeating what he'd described and clenching Chandler's shirt in one hand.

"I like this one better." Chandler stated. Joey asked him why, curiously. "Because, I'm guessing, it's easier to do this?" Chandler placed his lips on Joey's forehead and left them to rest there for a while.

"Based on what you've taught me so far, girls would like that, right?"

Joey found himself very lucky that Chandler couldn't see his smile, but tried to hide the small grin more by burying his face further into his roommate's neck. He nodded quickly and hoped Chandler couldn't feel his skin heating up.

"Yeah, yeah they definitely would." He murmured. "Anyone would." He made sure he said the end of the sentence much quieter, even though Chandler would probably be able to hear it anyway. Luckily, he didn't say anything.

Joey paused for a while, running through a few thoughts he had in his head. It wasn't often he had many thoughts, but these ones just wouldn't go away.

"Hey, Chandler?"

"Hm?" Chandler replied, running his hand slowly through Joey's hair.

"Does it bother you when people assume we're a gay couple?" Chandler frowned.

"No, why would you think that?" Joey shrugged slightly, trying to find a good way to word his answer. He didn't want to hurt Chandler in any way.

"Well, you always seem to be... I dunno, offended when people assume it, I guess. But we are very couple-y, even though it does seem to surprise you when anyone thinks we're gay."

"We're couple-y?" Chandler questioned.

"Well, yeah." Joey snorted. "We are parents to a chick and a duck. We have kids, Chandler!"

"Loads of people have pets!" Chandler argued. Joey decided to continue.

"We hug way more than any other straight friends do."

"Hugs are comfortable. And your hugs are nice and warm. And you're cute when you hug. You become this teddy bear like person." Joey raised an eyebrow.

"We call each other cute."

Chandler paused, unable to come up with a suitable answer for that one. That was a very true claim. But friend complement each other like that, right?

"When I moved out, we both treated it like a breakup. It was so bad, that I ended up running right back to you because I missed you so much. I realised that place wasn't home because wherever you were had become home." Chandler moved away from Joey slightly so that he could see his face, but couldn't see any sense of him lying, so pressed his face back into Joey's hair.

"I didn't realise you felt that way, honestly." Joey shrugged again, trying to be as casual as possible.

"I kinda have a reputation to keep up." He grinned. He went silent for a minute, thinking over what he and Chandler had just talked about. Briefly, but at least he'd been able to get a few things off his chest.

"I don't get offended, Joe." Chandler muttered, softly. Joey didn't reply, instead waiting for him to continue. "It just reminds me of my Dad, and my Dad's kind of an asshole. I don't wanna be like him. But I don't want to have the same personality as him, I couldn't give any less of a fuck about his sexual preferences."
Joey felt a little more reassured by Chandler's words, settling back into his hold as he felt his eyelids getting heavy. He didn't bother opening his eyes when Chandler shifted himself out from underneath Joey and slotted himself behind his instead. Joey shuffled backwards as far as he could go.

"This is proper spooning."