Drabbles and Whatnot

~Imagine Nine~

TV Series: F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Characters: Joey, Chandler and lil baby Ben (Ross, Phoebe, Rachel and Monica are mentioned but they aren't main characters in this)

It was when he first saw Chandler holding Ben, Joey decided with a small smile. Yeah that was it. He'd liked Chandler for a while but when he saw him holding Ben it was like a firework had exploded in his chest.

A quick boom here and an explosion there and pow, Joey was lovestruck.

Chandler hadn't even meant for him to see. At least he didn't think he had.

Pretty much everyone had crashed at Monica and Rachel's flat cause they were too exhausted to move and go home. Ben had been with Ross over the weekend so he'd brought him along to see them all again.

Ross was already pretty dead on his feet from looking after Ben during the day and conked out on the sofa. Ben was in his cot a few feet away and the girls had gone to bed, barring Phoebe who was the only who could be bothered to leave.

Joey had been nodding off on the couch, his head lolling to the side and resting on Chandler's shoulder. Chandler hadn't made an effort to move him so Joey figured it was fine.

Then Ben was crying. And Jesus, could this kid cry. Ross was still dead to the world and neither Rachel nor Monica had come rushing out so Joey assumed they were in similar states.

He had felt Chandler move to get up but then stop, as though he'd just remembered he still had Joey attached to him. The next thing he knew, he was being turned in a way that meant he was now lying along the length of sofa.

Joey cracked an eye open, and watched as Chandler moved towards the cot and swept the bawling baby into his arms. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see that Chandler was gently rocking Ben in an effort to calm him down.

And it seemed to be working.

Ben quietened, until all Joey could hear was small sniffles every so often. Chandler was gazing down at the kid with a gentleness Joey had never seen before. It made his heart...squeeze? Was that what was happening?

It was a good moment anyway. Nice, even. No, not nice. Fucking fantastic. But then Chandler looked up and saw Joey staring.

It was hard to see in the gloom of the room, but Joey could have sworn he could see Chandler flushing bright red. Well, not bright cause it was dark, but like definitely a reddish colour.

"Hey." Chandler mumbled, presumably embarrassed by having been caught with Ben. "You okay?"

"Fine."

There was a moment of silence before Joey spoke up again.

"Is he asleep?"

Chandler glanced down and grazed a finger lovingly along Ben's cheek. Ben's hand reached up and clasped it, holding it tight in his small fist. Joey and Chandler couldn't help but smile stupidly at that.

"Not yet, but I imagine he will aaaany second now."

As predicted, Ben nodded off a second or two later, leaving Joey and Chandler to stare at him in mute awe.

Joey stood and joined Chandler, peering over at his...nephew? Not exactly, considering he wasn't related to Ross or Monica but he'd been referred to as 'Uncle Joey' before and it made him feel good.

"Y'know," he started after a couple minutes of comfortable silence, "I know fuck all about kids but, well, I wouldn't mind having one of my own."

Chandler nodded thoughtfully, "Me too, 'course I'd have to adopt so it'd be different. Good, but different."