Apartment 520
A gorgeous woman stepped out in a bathrobe, her wet, long hair swinging as she moved. It's a scene every decent guy's seen before—except that the five pairs of keen eyes surrounding her completely ruined the familiar vibe.
Adam stole a glance at her before politely averting his eyes and turning toward Monica, the lady of the house, as if to ask, "What's going on here?"
Monica replied, "We'll talk about it later."
"Casey, this is our good friend Adam."
"Adam, this is my cousin—from both Ross and me."
As Monica introduced everyone, her tone lagged slightly whenever she mentioned Ross, clearly hinting at something. Ross immediately lowered his head.
"Hi."
Adam greeted with a smile.
"Hi."
Casey, covering her chest with her left hand and slightly raising her right, let her fingers move subtly as she fixed her gaze on Adam—her smile lingering at the corner of her mouth.
"Ahem."
Ross coughed heavily.
"I'll go change my clothes."
Noticing the awkwardness of the moment, Casey also grinned and walked into what used to be Rachel's room—the guest room, now. [Click—door closes]
"See? That's a perfectly normal reaction for a man!" Monica immediately leaped up, pointing at Adam as she glanced over at Chandler and Ross.
"Exactly!"
Pregnant Rachel complained, "Every time you see her, it's like time slows down, you hear a beautiful melody, even catch a hint of her perfume, and Casey just lights up? All lies—you guys are completely smitten!"
"I'm not lying."
"It's true, and it wasn't even planned."
Chandler and Ross scrambled awkwardly to defend themselves.
"I believe you," Rachel retorted sarcastically. "Because if you planned to kiss Casey, you'd really be a scumbag—damn it, she's your cousin!"
"Distant cousin!" Ross blurted out.
Seeing Adam's shocked expression, Ross quickly added, "Legally speaking, we're in the clear!"
"Ho, ho, ho!" Monica raised her hand in disbelief and shot a look at her own brother, "You actually thought that through?"
…
Ross was at a loss for words, his face reddening.
"Who was it that leaned in for a kiss with Casey?"
Rachel sneered, "I'm really curious if Monica will buy your excuse."
"I…" Ross stammered, his face turning beet-red.
"Calm down," Adam soothed. "I know a guy whose first time was with his distant cousin."
"Really?" Ross's eyes lit up. "So what happened between them?"
Monica and the others stared in surprise.
"Oh, here's the story," Adam said, barely containing his laughter. "Back when they were still young, at his uncle's funeral, he and his distant cousin were in the kitchen—chatting on opposite sides of a shelf holding pickled herring. At first, just like you, Ross, neither of them meant a thing by it. But then, at one moment, their eyes met and the fire of youth just exploded."
"Ugh, that's disgusting!" someone exclaimed.
"They actually did that at their uncle's funeral?"
"What happened next?"
While Rachel and the others condemned it, Ross grew more animated, pressing for details.
"After that, they ended up in a Japanese car."
Adam laughed. "Even now, whenever that guy sees or smells pickled herring, he gets this guilty yet awkward thrill."
"Guilty?" Ross objected.
"Yeah," Adam replied seriously. "I mean, that's his cousin, isn't it inherently wrong?"
"She's a distant cousin!!!" Ross insisted. "Legally there's no problem!"
"So?" Adam shrugged. "We're not talking law here—we're just morally teasing him."
Ross's face darkened. By now, if he still didn't realize Adam wasn't on his side, he'd be a fool.
"Hahaha!"
"Exactly—we're just morally looking down on you."
"You're so convinced—do you really have the nerve to bring this up at a family reunion, Ross? I wonder if you dare."
Rachel and the others burst into laughter. "What's so funny?"
After a while, a now-dressed Casey emerged from the guest room. It was clear her long delay had a purpose—
Newest update: This little story was first posted on the 69shu forum!
She had taken her time to get dolled up, and Ross just stood there, transfixed and dazed. Adam noticed that even Chandler seemed a bit mesmerized.
"Nothing," Monica said dismissively, giving Chandler a sharp twist on the back before quickly changing the subject.
Originally, she'd planned to have the guest room for Casey, but as soon as Chandler saw her, he couldn't help but stare. With no choice, she ended up sending Casey over to Ross's place—only to have Ross take it even further and try to make a move. So, poor Casey ended up coming back. After all, as long as she was around, Chandler was far less of a problem than Ross. But now that things have reached this point, neither Chandler nor Ross have improved a bit—they still act like perverts at every turn. Looks like Casey can't stay here any longer. A husband and a brother, both infatuated with their cousin… it's a disgrace for the whole family!
"Everyone, let's eat—this is Adam's apology feast," Monica called out.
"What about Joey?" Adam asked, genuinely curious.
"Where else would he be? The pretty one obviously has a date," Adam added.
Monica grumbled, "If it were tomorrow night, he could join us, but you switched it to tonight."
"Sorry," Adam replied apologetically.
"Are you doctors really that busy? Can't you even spare one night?" Phoebe questioned.
"No," Adam shook his head before launching into the story of Alice Gray. "…Although she still remembers medicine for now, who knows when she'll forget. So I have to pass on every bit of her experience and knowledge as quickly and completely as possible."
"Wow! That's incredible," Casey exclaimed.
"For the patients, I'm with you!" Phoebe added with a thumbs-up.
"I never expected Meredith's mom… which means our chances for get-togethers will be even fewer," Chandler said with a shake of his head.
"Yeah," Adam nodded. "But I promise—I won't miss any of the important moments we share."
"I believe you," Chandler said with a smile.
"OMG!" Rachel fanned her face, looking utterly moved. "Do you have to be this touching? I'm about to cry."
"Have you picked out a name for the baby yet? Leonard's really curious," Adam's remark quickly snapped Rachel out of her sentimentality.
"Don't ruin the mood with that talk!" Rachel snapped, playfully smacking Adam.
"Chandler, what about you and Monica?" Adam asked, turning to the two he valued most.
"We?" Monica and Chandler exchanged a surprised look before laughing. "We just finished our honeymoon a little over two months ago—we're not thinking about that right now."
"Yeah, take your time," Adam said with a knowing smile.
After the meal, Adam pulled Chandler aside onto the balcony for a few words before he left. He really admired what Lily and Matthew had said—that as long as they never miss the significant moments in each other's lives, the best of friends will always remain that way.