The One Where Rachel and Joey Are A Thing

The Date

Note from the author: English is not my first language, but I try my best. Hope you like it!

POV Rachel

I was actually crying when Phoebe got in the apartment. Monica was handing me tissues so I could clean up my nose when Pheebs asked what happened.

"Fourth month. Remember? You were all horny all over the place. But Rach... honey, why don't you say it?"

"I... I had an erotica dream!"

"Is that a bad thing?", asked Phoebe.

"WITH JOEY!"

"OMG! How was it?"

I saw Monica giving her a poke.

"It was the best sex I have never had! And now I just cannot look at him, you know? I guess I should just move in with Ross, like we talked about"

We all sit there at the sofa quietly for a moment. Even Phoebe.

"Are we praying?", said Chandler out of nowhere.

"Honey, why don't you go back to the room?"

"It's been 3 hours!"

"Chandler..."

"Yes, ma'm."

Phoebe took my hand.

"Rachel, I know how horny you feel. Trust me. But I guess each one of us has already, at least, seen each other naked once. This isn't about the sex, is it? I mean, I know you are horny, but the fact that dream was with Joey messed you up..."

Then I cried even more, because it made much more sense.

"I told him this week I was never gonna have a date in so long and he... well, he asked me on a date. It will be tomorrow. I guess that's why I dreamed with him. You know... every date Joey has ends up in sex. But now I realize... he is so caring towards me... towards my pregnancy too..."

Monica handed me another tissue.

"He stopped drinking beer because of the smell and he stopped making me pickle and tuna sandwiches because he knows it makes me sick. He took me to the hospital when I had Braxton Hicks contractions and remained calm to keep me calm... but when we found out I was fine, he almost fainted in relief. He's been so sweet..."

"Wow... sounds like you are in love with him", Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, she's too horny to make that judgment", Monica objected.

And we laughed.

That was when Joey got into the apartment and we all went quietly.

"What?", he asked.

"Nothing", we said.

"Chandler", Monica yelled, "Joey is here. Have a good game."

Then, like always, out of nowhere, another one of us gets into the apartment. It was Ross.

"Hey, Rach, I was thinking about packing on Sunday. What do you think?"

"About that..."

"Wait, were you crying?"

"No...", I tried to hide my nose.

"Rachel..."

Joey came in my direction, quicket than Ross, rubbing my back.

"What's wrong?", he said very softly.

And I hugged him.

"Hormones", said Monica.

He smelled like cologne and soap. It was a very thin smell, though, and it didn't make me nauseous.

"I'm here", he whispered. "Talk to me, Rach."

"Tomorrow", I said. "Now go to your game."

Besides Ross and Joey being worried, they went to the game with Chandler. Monica made me some warm milk with honey and respected my crying.

"Allow me to have some self-pity here... I am a single mother who is in love with her ex-wife's best friend. What if... what if Joey ends up being the grandfather of my daughter? I can't do this to Ross, can I? I mean, there are rules..."

"Rach", sighed Monica, "I don't know what Ross would think of this. It may not go forward, but if it does... I guess, well... I don't know. You cannot erase your feelings that easily. If you think they will stick into you and not let go..."

"Then what?", I asked.

Phoebe looked at me.

"Then Ross will have to settle for having his best friend as stepdad of your child. If Joey feels the same."

"OMG! There's this too... Joey will never make a move on me... he's too respectful because I'm pregnant."

"Rachel Karen Green", said Phoebe, "you will check all that tomorrow. For now, just stop crying, for God's sake!"

ꚙ

I was not expecting him to declare himself to me that night.

I almost chocked on the lobster.

Tears filled my eyes.

He interrupted himself.

"Rach? Ar-are you crying?"

I took his hands in mine. They were big, strong, but soft.

"Oh, Joey..."

"You don't have to be that pity of me, you know..."

"I'm not pity, I'm not sorry... I'm glad you are telling me this, because it's beautiful. To know someone is in love with you? Joey..."

He sighed.

"Look, Rach, I kinda talked to Ross, but still... It was a long-shot. A woman like you would never date a guy like me."

"How come I am?"

He looked at me so confused, then I leaned on and kissed his lips.

Much better than the dream, and sweet like the ice cream he was having.

We went home on a cab, and we barely talked, but it wasn't weird. His hand on my waist all the time.

Arriving home, the took off my coat and put his hand on my neck. The other one went to my waist, kinda rounded because of the little belly.

"What are you gonna do?", I asked.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Everything."

He kissed me so intensely it took my breath away. I felt the baby kick, but ignored.

Me and him fooled around for a while before he took me to bed. God... that man knew how to use his hands and his mouth.

He kissed my nipples, my breasts, so carefully. He knew I was sensitive. Then he kissed my belly. Plenty of little kissed across it. I felt the baby kick, and he did too.

"Prepare yourself now, baby. Your momma is gonna tremble."

"What do you..."

He went under my belly and started to give me kisses there.

"Joey", I sighed, contorting myself in the bed.

"Say my name, Rach..."

"Joey, keep going, please..."

"Beg..."

"JOEY!"

"Okay!"

When he used his tongue, I lost it. I didn't care about composure anymore, I was just there... being sucked and licked and eaten...

I can't count how many times I came into his lips, but I know he came into me and I know he had something so different because I could hear through the wall. Him with other girls. But with me he sounded so different, so...

"I love you, Rachel Green."

He was looking at me while touching my belly. He loved that baby too, I was so sure of it.

"I love you too, Joey. I mean it. In that way."