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The room was dark, other than the bright light from the television just feet in front of the couch where the two of them were laying. Phoebe had taken the corner seat to herself, because it had the best view of the screen, and Joey was next to her, lying with his head in her lap. She wove her fingers through his hair as they watched the explosions and the gun fights and the screaming on the screen in front of them.
“Your hair feels nice,” Phoebe told him at one point, as she rubbed is head a bit more, the way someone might rub a dog. “Like cat fur.”
“Cool,” Joey said. “My shampoo is working.”
“Clearly.”
They drifted back into silence, watching more of the movie, until it was Joey’s turn to break it.
“You ever think about it?” he said.
“Mmmmm. Think about what?”
“Us,” Joey said. “You know. You and me.”
“I’m thinking about you right now,” Phoebe answered.
“Nah, not like that,” Joey said. “You know.” He gestured into the air, waving his hands around in no clear motion. “Like us. You and me.”
Phoebe tore her eyes away from the movie and looked down at it. “Like you and me doing it?”
“Yes!”
Phoebe shrugged. “All the time.”
“All the time?” Joey smirked. “Yeah, baby.”
“Do you?” Phoebe asked him, and then laughed to herself. “Why am I asking? Of course you do.”
“You think it would hurt our friendship though?” Joey said, then added, “And of course I do! I think about that with everyone!” He lowered his voice. “With you it’d be special though.”
“Well, duh,” Phoebe said. “That’s why we don’t.”
“Wait, what?”
“Would you think I’m special if we did it?” she asked.
“Would you not think I’m special if we did it?” Joey sat up and turned, so we was now sitting shoulder to shoulder with her. They looked at each other.
“Would it be special, though, if I just took you right here and right now?” Phoebe said. “Or right there on the coffee table?” She pointed. “Or the kitchen table?” She pointed behind her. “Or out there on the patio.” She leaned backward and pointed.
“Oh, damn, you think about it in all those places?” Joey said. He looked a little bewildered.
Phoebe shrugged. “Where do you think about it?”
“I dunno.”
“Oh, you know,” Phoebe said. She elbowed him gently in the ribs. “Come on. Tell me. I told you.”
Joey smiled, almost sheepishly. “You really want to know?”
“Of course, you naughty boy,” Phoebe said.
“How do you know it’s naughty?”
Phoebe raised her eyebrows. Joey shrugged. “Okay, it’s naughty,” he said. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper, even though they were alone and someone on the television was talking in a really, really loud voice.
“Sometimes,” he started, “I think about doing it with you at Central Perk when no one is looking. Like if the lights went out and everyone was just sitting there, and no one could see us over in the corner.”
“Oooooooh,” Phoebe breathed. “You are a dirty boy.”
“Or maybe just in the bathroom,” Joey said. “Or maybe in Ross’ bathroom when he invites us over. You know how he hates people in his bathroom looking at his stuff.”
“Oh!” Phoebe said, an idea popping into her head. “Oh, oh, maybe in Monica and Rachel’s bathroom, and we could rearrange some of Monica’s towels while we’re at it!”
“She would hate that!” Joey grinned. “You’re evil.”
“Where else?”
“I dunno. The floor maybe?”
“Ehhh, that’s boring.”
“The elevator?”
“Done that.”
“You have?”
“No questions. Where else?”
“Do we go anywhere else?”
Phoebe thought. “Yeah, not really. I guess that’s good.”
A loud explosion sounded on the television. Phoebe turned her eyes back to the movie.
“So you want to do it then?” Joey whispered in her ear. “We could go to Central Perk right now. Or to Monica and Rachel’s.”
“Nah,” Phoebe said. She turned back to Joey in time to see a quick flicker of hurt pass over his face.
“Oh,” she clarified. “Not that I don’t want to. I totally want to. Duh. Just, you know, that whole special thing.”
“That would be special,” Joey said.
“That would be fun,” Phoebe said. “Special would be in five years when you’ve just broken up with the latest girl and I just dumped the latest guy …”
“Wait,” Joey interrupted. “Why are you the dumper but I’m the getting dumped guy?
“Don’t ask questions.”
“You know I’m always the dumper.”
“That’s why this is special.”
“Hmmmmm ….”
“So as I was saying, special would be in five years when you’ve just broken up with the latest girl and I just dumped the latest guy, and we’re both miserable but we see each other across Central Perk and our eyes meet and we just know that the other is the one we have been waiting for all these years, so we rush together and we sneak the key to the bathroom out of his pocket and then we hurry in their together, holding hands, and we can’t wait anymore. So we rip each other’s clothes off, and then we do it right there, and of course it’s the best we’ve both ever had.”
“That’s a high bar,” Joey said.
“That’s why it’s special.”
“Okay,” Joey said. “Five years huh?”
“Five years.”
“Can I kiss you now though? You know, like sort of a sneak peek.”
“A sneak peek, huh?”
“Make you want it more in five years,” Joey said.
Phoebe shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”
She leaned in toward Joey and he leaned toward her. The second their lips met, Phoebe fastened her arms around him and he held on to her, pulling her close. They stayed together as the seconds ticked by, and then they drew apart.
“Wow,” Joey said.
“Wow is right,” Phoebe answered.
“So five years then?”
“Yup.” Phoebe leaned back against the couch. “Five years it is.”